


Abstraction

by SierraLaufeyson13



Category: Jurassic Park (Movies), Jurassic World (2015), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Genre: F/M, me? writing a geology based story? yes.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-03-23 22:38:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 32,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13797804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SierraLaufeyson13/pseuds/SierraLaufeyson13
Summary: Life is too short, and DNA too long.Dr. Alysanne Sattler has grown up hearing the tales of Jurassic Park from her aunt. Now she's following in Ellie's footsteps and one day, déjà vu comes with an invite to work at Jurassic World. It's a new park that comes with a new start and a very nettlesome raptor trainer named Owen Grady.





	1. one

Anticipation bubbled in the atmosphere of the Coliseum. Just under five thousand undergraduates sat on the arena floor and in the stands, wearing caps and gowns of red and gold, with cords of various colors and stoles of white. Family and friends waved from their seats and snapped pictures. Alysanne Sattler scanned over the crowd as she stood in the line to cross the stage and receive her diploma from the University of New Mexico for a Bachelor of Science and one from the Honors College.

Five people were there to watch her, they were all clumped together at the top of the section. Her mom was there, in her wheelchair, with her Aunt Ellie standing behind it, and Uncle Mark next to her. Her two small cousins, Charlie and Noah, were there too.

Her row was the next to join the queue for crossing the stage. All the while, she fiddled with the heavy bronze medallion around her neck. Both nervous and excited. It was like high school graduation, but so much better.

The Dean called her name and she froze until the girl behind her nudged her back. Alysanne crossed the stage, shook the administrations' hands and stopped for a quick picture. Two slips of paper said that she had completed four hard years of college and that now she could call herself a geologist, it wasn't quite where she wanted to be yet, though. "Congratulations, Class of 2003! You may now turn your tassels!" Caps were thrown into the air and rained back down on them all.

Alysanne tucked her cap and diplomas under her arm and joined the stream of new graduates that flooded into the parking lots surrounding the Coliseum. She didn't realize that she would go to another two universities and obtain a masters or doctorate, but she had big ambitions, and a name to live up to.

"Claire!" The redhead turned and waved her hands in frantic excitement. "We did it! We did it!" They both chanted, embracing one another. Claire Dearing had been her roommate and best friend since tenth grade. The two girls promised never to lose contact with one another, but as happens with life, some promises can't be kept. For next two years they kept in touch, but then research and fieldwork consumed Alysanne's life and Claire had been swept up into the world of big business.

✹✹✹

Ten years after she first graduated, Alysanne was back at the site that launched her into the world of paleontology. The Lower Cambrian Harkless Formation. She and her crew of both professionals and undergrads were knees deep in a mucky annual stream from the winter's snowmelt. Their camp was a mile upstream, but vehicles weren't feasible to pass over the terrain and could potentially damage the fossils. Hiking with thirty pounds of equipment was the best solution. Slowly they all trudged through the canyon's muddy water until the land flattened out and the stream split into three.

Two weeks into the dig, a multitude of trace fossils and body fossils -trilobites, gastropods, and lophotrochozoan- had been unearthed under the June sun. Alysanne had gathered those involved in the summer field camp and her undergrads under the large marquee, explaining the anatomy of some of the better-preserved fossils and popular theories about their relationship with other fauna and flora. Her voice was drowned out by a passing jet plane, or so that was what they assumed it to be.

Wind shook the canvas tent and the wop-wop sound of a helicopter drew closer. Dust was thrown into the air at the dig site and into the tent as the blades of a helicopter juddered about in its attempt to land in the open nothingness of the Nevada Great Basin. She cursed aloud and ran to grab a sheet, tossing it over the exposure that was key to her newest paper. Others did the same and held down loose papers and lighter pieces of equipment. The helicopter landed and after a few moments, everything settled. Peter jogged over to Alysanne, still holding his cap to his head, "Hey boss, who the fuck is that?"

The tension and annoyance had not left her body or expression, "Some asshole who doesn't know how delicate these fossils are." Alysanne read the logo on the door and frowned,  _Masrani Global_.

The copter's door slid back and someone quickly hopped down, dropping a stepstool on the bed of red sandstone. The man who stepped out was wearing a baby blue suit with a white shirt and black tie. Simon Masrani was out of place in this environment and out of his comfort zone, too. He looked at the gathered faces, all of which seemed to be either irritated or annoyed at the unplanned disruption. "Dr. Sattler?"

Alysanne stepped forward and extended her hand, though when she saw the mud and dirt caked onto her fingers she wiped them off on the legs of her shorts. Simon Masrani took her hand, seeming not to care about the dirt staining his white dress shoes. "You can call me Ally," she said with perfunctory courtesy. "What brings you out here, Mr. Masrani?"

"You," he replied with a fleeting smile, "We've been working on something new for the park and need opinions from the experts."

Ally laughed, not even bothering to conceal her distaste or the sardonic nature of it. "Then maybe you're looking for my aunt." Ellie, after all, was the expert on surviving Jurassic Park. "She'd be happy to tell you that it sounds like a bad idea." He opened his mouth either to object to further explain his presence but she continued, "Besides. I don't study dinosaurs, my interest lies in invertebrates from the Cambrian period. Unless you want trilobites crawling around on the bottom of an aquarium eating phytoplankton then I suggest you find another paleontologist."

Despite her sharp and bordering rude words, Simon Masrani laughed, only his was genuine and good-hearted. "She warned me you'd be a hard one to convince."

"Who?" She questioned, a quizzical inflection in her voice.

Masrani took a pair of sunglasses from his breast pocket, "Claire Dearing."

Something similar to shock came over Ally's countenance at that name. "Claire?" She asked, just to be sure that the heat had not gotten to her. It had been years since she had spoken to Claire, even longer since she had seen her.

Simon nodded, pleased to see that he had sparked some interest in the esteemed Dr. Sattler, "Yes, she's our park operations manager." That position had to suit Claire perfectly if she was still the same meticulous and punctual girl from high school and college. Sweat had begun beading up on Mr. Masrani's brow, "Can we continue this conversation out of this sun? Over dinner, perhaps?"

"Mr. Masrani, I can't just-," Ally stopped midsentence when the man raised his hand. "Simon, please," he interjected, knowing that he wouldn't easily convince her to leave the field site, even for a couple of hours. Simon Masrani fished a business card from his pocket and handed it to Dr. Sattler, "If you change your mind, or just get curious." He flashed a spurious smile before stepping back into the chopper.

Dust filled the air again.


	2. two

Thirteen kilometers belowthe Boeing 777 was nothing but a deep unexplored abyss. Alysanne looked out of the small window once while over the Atlantic and felt her stomach fill with dread. Her grip on the armrests of the business class seat had been white-knuckled since then and would be for another hour before the darkness swallowed the plane and the ocean was no longer distinguishable.

The landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport had been a rough, rude awakening at 6:39 a.m. and the cab ride to her lodgings on the edge of Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University had been long and tiresome with the stop and go traffic that never seemed to cease. Her lecture was in a couple hours and like always she wasn't able to sleep as nerves and anxiety got the better of her.

 _A Cambrian Peak in Morphological Variation Within Trilobite Species_  was the title of the lecture and recently published paper. She had lost track of how many times she checked her laptop and thumb drive to be sure that the presentation was there during the flight. Alysanne Sattler had already given this lecture a dozen times over in her head and knew the information better than the back of her hand but she still got nervous. Ellie had told her that if she wasn't nervous about telling others her findings then she either hadn't found anything or didn't know the material well enough.

Undergraduates and grad students alike sat side by side in the rotunda lecture hall. The flyers and announcements had even drawn some people that weren't a geoscience major. Dr. Bousquet, one of her colleagues and friend from her time at CalTech, stood in front of the podium. He always had an air of confidence and a polished appearance that demanded respect. Silence fell over the hall as he began with the introductions and formalities, then he extended his hand to where she sat, "I'd like to introduce you all to a good friend and our guest lecturer for today, Dr. Sattler."

The title slide flashed up on the two projection screens and the lights of the rotunda dimmed as she cleared her throat and began. The slides passed by quickly with pictures of the dig sites and fossils, some microscopic, and others more than two feet long. Then came her brief summary that could have spared some from the forty minute talk, "Through ecological and developmental influences on evolutionary tempo, high intraspecific variation may have played a major role in the pronounced Cambrian diversification of trilobites." Dr. Bousquet began the applause and the hall quickly followed, some more genuine than others.

Ally pulled out her phone, checked the time, and set it on the podium along with her lecture notes. "I believe we have time left for questions. No need to raise your hand, just yell them out." This was always the part she dreaded the most, most of the time, the questions were simpler, just repeats of tidbits of information from the talk or defining some terms, others were far more complex and left her without a feasible answer, only more questions, and then there was always that one person who asked something along the lines of: "What was Jurassic Park like?"

She didn't know how Ellie or Allan could stand being asked those questions all the time. "You would have to ask my aunt that question," came her monotone and uninterested answer. It was clear then that the lecture and question session was over unless others came afterward with their questions.

Matthis Bousquet sat outside a quiet café that faced the Seine River, a stack of midterm evaluations on the small table. Ally skimmed over those that had already been graded, laughing at some of the obviously wrong answers and silently appreciating those that were correct and well thought out.

When a tray of assorted pastries was delivered, along with two lattes, she absently pulled the crumpled business card from her pocket and began fiddling with it to pass the time. "What's that?" Matthis asked, remembering how in some classes she would fidget with a chewed pen cap. Not realizing what she was doing, Ally handed over the card. "Jurassic World, huh?"

"Simon Masrani found me in the Nevada desert about six months ago." She still wasn't sure how the man had managed to find her at an isolated dig site in the middle of nowhere. Or that he thought she would up and leave her research for a theme park. Matt shrugged, "It'd be an interesting break." He passed the card back to her, she tucked it back into her pocket.

"I can't just quit my research and go to a fucking theme park," she retorted with a dash of anger. Matt set aside his red ink pen and picked up his latte, "No, but you can expand your research."

Ally shook her head, still not fond of the idea of working or even researching, at Jurassic World. "I don't know." Defeat and uncertainty laced her voice. Matthis Bousquet knew her work habits and the amount of effort and dedication that went into Alysanne Sattler's work. No other invertebrate paleontologist could boast a portfolio quite like her and it was being to show. "You've published six papers in less than two years, you'll work yourself into an early grave over trilobites." When it was said like that, it did sound absurd and a bit much.

"How's your research going?" she asked in return. He pulled out his phone and swiped through a handful of pictures showing the fossilized remains of a resonating chamber and the computer generations of what a complete one looked like. "Just started analyzing the resonating chamber and potential vocal abilities of an argentinosaurus."

Two days later she was back at Paris airport with Matthis rolling her luggage until the point where only ticketed peoples were allowed. "If I see another paper with your name on it this year," he shook his finger in her face as a warning. Ally smiled, laughing.

"It was good to see you, Matt."

He nodded and offered a quick embrace, "Take care of yourself, Allosaurus." Her smile broadened before she turned and scurried away to her terminal and flight back. She toyed with the business card for almost a year. Sometimes pulling it out over lunch or dinner only to run her thumb along the embossed silver letters that spelled out Jurassic World until one day, she dialed the fading number.

✹✹✹

After seven hours in the air and nearly three at sea on a ferry packed with people, to see the green covered mountains of Isla Nublar was a welcomed relief, being able to walk on solid ground even more so. Disembarking from the ferry, Ally trailed behind the wide-eyed tourists, looking around the landing that had small sculptures of different dinosaurs and an array of tropical birds roosting on the welcome banners. That was the first thing she noticed. The second was the ghastly humidity and heat that came with the Central American climate.

"Ally!" She knew that voice, better yet she knew the face and the redhead that had come to greet her. Claire threw her arms around her old friend for a brief moment before holding her at arm's length away. "I was really starting to think you wouldn't come."

Alysanne laughed and tugged on the collar of her t-shirt, "I had almost convinced myself not to." Both she and Claire made their way to the monorail boarding station that would take them to the resort. At the back of the train were two empty seats, which they took just in time for the train to lurch forward on the track. "How's your research going?"

Claire knew she wouldn't quite understand everything her friend talked about, she never did, but Ally's excitement was always contagious. "My latest dissertation is in the last issue of  _Science_ , but I've switched gears as of late."

The redhead laughed and nudged Ally with her elbow, "What? Nothing exciting going on in the world of brachiopods and trilobites anymore?"

Ally shrugged. "No, I just," she paused and glanced out of the window as the greenery passed by in a blur, "I had a long talk with Ellie." Claire raised her brow in question, "I've been looking at the paleoecological relationships between sauropods and theropods." Silence encompassed Ally when the train slowed, passing beneath a large gate with  _Jurassic World_  in blue letters at the top. A sense of awe and fear welled up inside of her, she wondered if Ellie had felt the same way when she first entered the gates of Jurassic Park.

"How's mam?" Claire suddenly asked, catching her off-guard. Ally frowned, she and her mom had been butting heads as of late over her father, wherever the hell he was. "The cancer's gone again," she replied, it had been an ongoing battle since before she had even graduated from New Mexico, "but I don't think she's happy that I came here, neither is Ellie for that matter."

The two were the last to exit the monorail and by Claire's expression, Ally knew their reunion had come to a close. "I have some meetings coming up, but I'd be happy to show you around tomorrow. I've been meaning to take at least one day off," her smile was fleeting and impatient.

Alysanne nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

Claire held out two keycards, one with a Hilton logo, the other with Jurassic World's, "Here's your room key and access card." She took both of them and slipped them into her pocket. "It's good to see you again, Ally," Claire said, and the formality that had been in her voice just a moment ago had faded into a genuine statement.

"You too, Claire," Ally responded. They shared another quick embrace before Claire turned toward the park, her black heels clacking against the concrete sidewalks. Alysanne looked around at the hoard of tourist and to the lush tropical forests that lay beyond the resort. She took a deep breath, the slightest hint of salt was on her tongue, and hoped that history would not come to repeat itself.


	3. three

"What are you wearing?" Ally looked down at her field clothes. Mud stained khaki cargo shorts, hiking boots, and an equally stained button-up plaid shirt. Generic and practical for her field of work, unlike Claire's polished grey dress and black heels. She shrugged, "My field clothes?" She wasn't exactly trying to impress anyone with her tidy looks and ironed clothes, the dinosaurs wouldn't care. Neither said anything else on the subject of clothing or appearance, that had always been a place of discourse between the two, even as high schoolers.

When a Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe pulled up in place of a Jeep, or even a vehicle with four-wheel-drive, Ally almost laughed but slipped into the passenger seat regardless. Claire pressed one of the buttons on the central console and one of the gates opened below the monorail boarding station, allowing access to the service road. Sections of what once belonged to the old park remained scattered along the wooded areas, whether out of carelessness or to serve as a reminder.

It all passed in a blur, along with Claire's descriptions of each exhibit, or mentions of some of the species that they had engineered. The dense tropical forest faded into a lush valley with a wide, flat floor. Ahead was a running herd of gallimimus and next to them was the large shadow cast by a lone brachiosaurus. Ally rolled down the window and stuck her head out to see the entity of the large herbivore. "The Gyrosphere Valley is where you'll probably be the most," Claire pointed out.

Alysanne Sattler was overwhelmed by the power and beauty of Jurassic World. The shrill ringtone coming from Claire's phone, however, was out of place and brought Ally back down a sobering state of mind as she remembered how Ellie had described the first park. "You're kidding?!" the redhead exclaimed, but after a moment, she sighed, "I'll be right in." Already suspecting that the interruption would end her private tour of the island, Ally slumped back into the leather seat, thinking about how to spend the rest of the day. "They need me in control," Claire stated, only mildly disappointed.

"Just let me out here," she responded, unhooking the seatbelt. The door was already open and she was climbing out into the valley. "Ally!" came the panicked protest. After being cramped up in planes, boats, and now cars she was glad to have the open expanse. Alysanne leaned back into the car through the rolled down window. "What? I can catch the monorail back to the resort. You need to go to work."

"Fine," Claire bit back, still not sounding pleased with her rash decision, "I'm sorry about this though."

Ally shook her head and pulled out her field journal and pen, "It's fine, Claire. We're both too good at our jobs."

The park manager didn't protest again, she was antsy now to get back and now the extent of what was going on. Before Claire drove back and called Ally back to the car. "We can meet up for supper, though. I'll give you a call later when this is all sorted out."

It was nearing six o'clock when she returned to the resort, already her notebook was littered with notes of the various species she had observed and small drawings of each one done more so to pass the time than anything else. Heading up to her room, Ally swapped hiking boots for sandals and pulled her hair back into a poor excuse for a bun. Seeing as though Claire had yet to call her by eight, she set off in pursuit of a meal and a strong drink.

Isla Nublar had been converted from a disaster zone to a world-class tourist trap, right down to the overpriced souvenirs and theme park food. Though she couldn't complain about Margaritaville, it had decent food that tasted twice as good after a few drinks.

It was an odd time of the year when the park's attendance was in a decline and surprisingly at eight o'clock the restaurant was almost empty, or at least the bar was. Alysanne took a seat at the bar and opened the menu that had been sat down in front of her.

"Your order?" asked the rotund bartender after several minutes. She took one last glance down at the laminated pages, "Ah, can I get an Incommunicado and the Lava Lava Shrimp?" He jotted down the order and disappeared into the kitchen before returning to make her drink.

The man that took the empty seat next to her promptly let out a relieved sigh and laid his head on the scratched wooden bar. Alysanne eyed him curiously but returned to nursing her drink. "Rough day, Owen?" The bartender asked, chuckling as he popped the cap off a Corona and pushed a lime wedge into the neck.

"You've got no idea," came the mumbled response that elicited a louder laugh from the friendly bartender. "The girls must be going through that rebellious teenage streak," the man muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

"Which one did that?" Ally caught herself glancing at the stranger sitting next to her, and the scabbed over cut that ran down the length of his right forearm. It looked deep, painful, and not properly cleaned or tended to. "Blue. I forget about those damn retractable claws."

It was after that statement that Ally couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. There was only one group of dinosaurs that had retractable claws,"Eudromaeosauria," she announced, catching Owen's undivided attention and that of the bartender as well, "which genus?"

"Velociraptor," Owen responded, taking a swig of the pale lager. Her eyes widened. Alan had told her so many stories about velociraptors before Jurassic Park existed, for the longest time that had been her favorite dinosaur. "They bred velociraptors again? Even after what happened at the last park?" Ally asked.

"Only four," he quickly added in a casual tone, but it seemed that it was four too many after hearing stories from Ellie and Alan about the deadly and intelligent creatures. A hush fell over Ally as an uneasy feeling welled up in her gut. It faded instantly when the bartender set down a second mixed drink next to her half-eaten platter of shrimp. "Owen here is our raptor dad."

"I was there when they hatched," he explained. "You imprinted on them," she took the words from the tip of his tongue.

He quirked a brow, both amused and impressed. "You don't seem like a regular tourist."

"No," she smiled, looking down at her calloused hands for a moment, "I'm a new researcher." Owen turned on the barstool with a piqued interest in his new colleague. She held out her hand, "Dr. Alysanne Sattler, but you can call me Ally."

His handshake was strong and firm, but fleeting. "Owen Grady," he introduced himself, "just Owen," that came as an afterthought but it earned a soft laugh from Alysanne. A plate with fries and a burger was slid in front of him and it was only then she remembered the rest of her own dinner. "What are you here to research?" The question was muffled by the unreasonable bite that he had taken of the burger.

Ally took a sip of her drink, clearing her throat, "Interactions between sauropods and theropods." She picked up the last of her shrimp, "What do you do with the raptors?"

"Behavioral research," he responded. It was mostly small talk that persisted between them for another hour until Ally requested her bill. She stood, pushed the stool back under the edge of the bar and turned to Owen. "It was nice to meet you," she said and he nodded in a manner that said 'likewise' while polishing off a second Corona.

Before she got too far away though, he spoke, "Hey, if you ever want to meet the girls, I'm at the raptor paddock on the east side of the island."

Ally smiled back over her shoulder at him, "I'll keep that in mind."


	4. four

At 6:30 A.M. the loathsome blaring beeps from the alarm clock startled Ally to the point where she nearly fell off the queen-sized mattress. Shutting off the noisy contraption, she stood from the bed and stretched before setting off for a shower and then a long first day as an official scientist and researcher of Jurassic World.

By 7:30 a.m. she was boarding the monorail before park guests could scramble onto it and pack the seats. Several other employees were within the same railcar, but none of them seemed to care about the unfamiliar face among them. They departed from the monorail at three different stops in what must have been their own humdrum routine.

The fifth stop would be her point of departure. Ally heaved her backpack onto her shoulders and stepped back into the humid Central American climate at the Gyrosphere Valley.

Once, the thought of walking at the side of a six-ton triceratops would have unnerved her, but now, actually doing so it was different, peaceful almost. A hundred feet or so to her left was a heard of grazing hadrosaurids. The duck-billed dinosaurs had stopped and watched her pass them by with a sharp acuity, it took about a minute for them to accept that she wasn't a threat and they continued eating the leaves off low branches of trees.

Ally found a tree with low hanging branches and scaled it until she came to spot where enough leaves were missing and smaller branches were broken. That tree would become her perch and lookout, where some days she sat taking pictures and scribbling down notes in a small yellow book from dawn to dusk, rain or shine.

And so like the dozen others who had their own monotonous routine at 7:30 a.m., Alysanne Sattler became one of them. But even if the morning routine was the same, she rarely saw a repeat of anything in the field and that was the way she liked it, even if it meant that her research would go more slowly than predicted.

After a solid two months of field research, she got a call from Claire, which to say the least, was random and unexpected. Claire had been rather busy as of late, claiming that park attendance was down to record lows and she needed to meet with investors who would support a new attraction to boost revenue again. The lead park manager sounded out of breath on the other end of the line, and it wasn't from excitement, "There are two apatosaurus eggs that are set to hatch tonight."

"I'll be there," Ally replied and as the sun was lowering itself on the horizon, she finished up a couple more observations and closed the half-filled field notebook before scaling back down her favored tree and venturing back to the nearest monorail loading station.

The Innovation Center was quite dull at the later hour, not yet closed for the day, but most had already fled back to the resort. A hologram of a velociraptor was running-in-place at the center of the large room. Ally glanced around at the interactive displays and constructed dig sites, they were laughable compared to the real thing.

Claire was standing next to a bronze statue of John Hammond in front of what had fondly been labeled as the creation lab. Her shoulder length red hair was straightened with not even a single bang out of place. A polished grey pencil skirt matched a deep navy blazer and crisp white shirt. Ally didn't understand how she always managed to look so put together.

Clods of caked and dried mud fell off Alysanne's hiking boots with every step. The lab had emptied out for the day, except two people, one of who Ally recognized immediately as Henry Wu. Claire made a gesture to the geneticist and then to her friend, "Ally, I'd like to formally introduce you to Dr. Wu, our chief geneticist."

Ally extended her hand and Wu gave a firm handshake, "I've heard so much about you, Dr. Wu."  _Good and bad_ , she added in her head. Ellie never seemed overly fond of him from her stories and Alan, on the other hand, was still impressed that he had found a way to create living dinosaurs, even if they weren't necessarily accurate.

The doctor had a surprised look about him. "Really?" he asked. Ally nodded, "My aunt is Ellie Sattler," she explained and then a smile broke out across Wu's face. Alysanne bore what must have been a family resemblance, for now, he could place who he felt she had looked like.

"I remember her well, she had an impatient air about her, like nothing in life ever happened fast enough." That summed up Ellie with a startling amount of accuracy. Being stuck sixty-five million years ago tended to have that effect on people, nothing ever happened quick enough. Ally tittered, "family gatherings are something else."

When the introductions passed, one of the assistants waved the three of them over to a separate room, the hatchery. "Come, they're just about to hatch." She said. Several pedestals held up different eggs, each belonging to a different species. Among them were iguanodons, protoceratops, hadrosaurus, apatosauruses, and compsognathus. Each nest was fitted with a robotic arm that rotated the eggs periodically. Claire quickly excused herself, leaving Ally hovering over the two apatosaurus eggs like an expecting mother.

✹✹✹

"We meet again," came Owen Grady's announcement as he slid into the empty barstool on her right.

"Owen," she greeted, not looking up from the sloppy field notes that she was typing up into a report. He looked over her shoulder, trying to decipher the terrible penmanship that in some places had smudged and in others where rain had caused the ink to bleed. Despite the intrusion, she continued to type away her laptop, the lid of which had been covered in stickers from schools, conferences, and national parks.

He shrugged, uninterested. "Looks boring." It  _was_  a pretty boring task, but there were worse things than creating a simple report. "Better than writing a dissertation," Ally quipped. She looked down in her lap at the book and glanced back up at the screen, continuing on with a deep sigh. Dr. Alysanne Sattler was exhausted, between staying up till one in the morning and the raging storm that followed to working a full day in the valley.

"You look like you need a drink," Owen said after a few more minutes of nonstop typing on her part, she glared at him, shaking her head, it needed to be finished before midnight and at this rate, her detailed observations were just becoming extraneous. "Write drunk and edit sober, isn't that what they say?" He asked, a crooked grin lighting up his face.

She almost laughed, that had been her motto as an undergrad, but that kind of work ethic didn't get you into graduate programs or get papers published. "It's a tempting proposition but I don't need Claire on my ass again about punctuality." He could get behind that reasoning as most of the time he was late turning in paperwork and that always got him an earful from Claire Dearings. Owen lifted his hands in defeat. "Fine, fine," he said, reaching for the bottle of Corona that had been placed down in front of him, but that seemed to be the final straw for her. Staring at the screen would make her eyes go cross before too much longer and her fingers were stiff, aching even.

"Oh fuck it," Ally finally said, rubbing her eyes before closing down the documents and shutting off the computer. Owen beamed, "I do love it when someone hits 'fuck it,'" he said whilst waving over the bartender. She ordered her usual, an incommunicado with extra whipped cream.

By her third drink, the effects of the alcohol and sleep deprivation were beginning to show in her giddiness and childish excitement when Owen began talking about the four raptors he so fondly referred to as 'his girls.' Soon she confessed her interest in doing her own research with the feared predators of the Cretaceous period. Even Dr. Grant's stories couldn't frighten her away from them.

Owen, remembering that tomorrow started the weekend, finished off his beer and turned on his stool, "you should come to the paddock tomorrow, me and Barry will be there." Ally stood, gathering up her things and nodded, saying she'd be over sometime around lunch, that'd give her time to finish and submit her write up (even though it would now be late), and catch up on lost hours of sleep.


	5. five

Two apatosaurus hatchlings had only just graduated from the nursery and into the Little Giant's Petting Center. Alysanne sat on the wooden rail fencing and held out both her hands, one with grain feed, another with leaves.

A certain nettlesome raptor trainer had told her to name them. Running into and finding her around the park had become Owen's specialty as of late. Now was no different, he leaned over the fence, scratching the nose of a young Triceratops. "If I name them then I'll get attached," she said, mainly to herself for reassurance. They were like overgrown puppies in a way, and the moment she named them it would be the end.

Owen Grady scoffed, she had been treating the two apatosauruses like her own children since they had hatched, one of them had even escaped containment one night and followed her into Margaritaville. That was Ally's version of the tale, the rumor around the park was that she even snuck them into the hotel on slow nights. "You're already attached to them." He was right of course. That was something she found infuriating about him, he had a knack for always being right.

Alysanne Sattler placed her hands on her hips and thought for a couple long moments about what to name the two budding gentle giants. "Pat and Sue, then," she said too quickly to have not put some amount of thought into names beforehand. Owen Grady clutched at his stomach, laughing so hard that it quickly became a silent wheezing noise. "Why are you laughing?!" She asked, her glare would have been sufficient to scare almost anyone.

"The Land Before Time?" He asked, half mocking her decision. "Come on, Ally," he ridiculed. Alysanne felt a flush of heat wash over her in anger, in fact, her ears were probably burning. Owen laughed again at her expression. "At least I didn't name them with the military alphabet!" She snapped in return and that only made him laugh harder.

Owen raised his hands up in defeat after a moment, "Fair enough," he stated with a crooked grin that she desperately wanted to slap off his rugged face. "You still haven't met the girls you know," he added, leaning back over the fence to the parasaurolophus that was waiting for a nose or cheek rub.

The thought of seeing velociraptors made Alysanne Sattler nervous, frightened even. She didn't necessarily want to be around a creature that could very well be as smart as her, not after Ellie and Alan's stories. So in response Ally shrugged and picked up the bottle of Corona that she'd sat on the railing, taking a long swig. "Wouldn't want them to get jealous," she quipped, a small smile curling her lips upward.

Owen Grady smirked, "You're off tomorrow. You should come see them." It was the start of the weekend after all, and even though she had a report to finish and menial paperwork to do, the thought of running away from those responsibilities was a tempting offer.

"Okay," there was resignation in her voice, "I'll finally come meet your lovely girls." Triumphant, Owen smiled, finished his beer and turned away from the Gentle Giants Petting Center. Alysanne sighed, shaking her head before pulling out her phone to make note of when exactly her report and paperwork were due. 

"What was that about?" The appearance of Claire Dearing at her side startled her so much that her phone tumbled from her hand, and straight into a pile of dinosaur shit. "Claire!" she exclaimed, both surprised to see her and curious to as how long she had been standing there. Alysanne looked down at her lit up phone screen and groaned, reaching down under the rail to reclaim her phone.

Claire's arms were crossed, wrinkling the periwinkle blue blouse that matched her deep navy pencil skirt. She glanced at Ally's phone with a crinkled nose and frowned when she whipped it off on her oversized, stained plaid button up. "He's trouble Ally." It sounded like she spoke from personal experience, but in truth, Ally never could have pictured Claire Dearing with anyone other than an uptight businessman with the same set of strict guidelines for life.

"You think I can't tell that?" She laughed, people like Owen Grady were always trouble, but then she shrugged and stuck her hands into her pockets, "besides I'm just going out to see the raptors tomorrow." It had been something on her list of things to do ever since they met her first night on the island and that had been almost five months ago.

"Want to get a drink?" Claire asked out the blue. It seemed a shame that after years of being separated they still managed to see each other more than now when they were on the same island. Ally pursed her lips. "I have a report that's not finished," Alysanne defended, and suddenly she sounded more like the studious girl that Claire had known from school all those years ago, who always put grades before fun.

"C'mon," the redhead almost whined, "if I have time then so do you." It was a fair point.

✹✹✹

By the time Alysanne was awake and showered, it was almost noon. Sighing, she glanced over at the small scribbled down list of things that needed to be done, of course, today wasn't the best day for completing assignments, the weekends never were unless Claire was on her ass about timely submissions. With one task in her mind, she pushed her way through the crowded main street attractions and swiped her keycard to slip behind the fence, unseen.

It took about twenty minutes to find the Raptor Paddock via four-wheeler. They had placed it in a secluded area of the island that was bordered by thick forest and steep cliffs dropping to the beach and ocean below. Ally turned off the ignition and saw a very excited raptor trainer running toward her. "Didn't think you were going to show," he accused, only slightly out of breath.

Alysanne Sattler laughed and hopped off the all-terrain vehicle. "Well, I'm not exactly in the mood to write papers." She noted. A few steps ahead they were joined by a man with deep umber skin. Owen stopped for a moment and turned to his friend, "Ally, Barry," he introduced with little formalities, "Barry, Ally," he finished as they shook hands.

"Bonjour," he greeted, then turned his gaze to Owen. "We just got the girls in their harnesses for a check-up," he told him. Owen motioned over his shoulder to the four velociraptors that had been led into separate units and harnessed. For a split second, cold unadulterated fear ran through Alysanne's blood when she glanced at them. Their yellowish eyes were already trained on her when Owen grabbed her arm, towing her over to the cage. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Echo," he pointed to the one in the far left corner. Her scales were a brownish color with deep blue strips, though the most prominent feature that distinguished her from the others was the large scar across her face and slightly offset jaw. "Delta," Owen pointed toward the raptor across from Echo. Delta had no strips or markings and compared to the other three that made her unique. "Charlie." She was olive green with black vertical strips running down her neck and back. The youngest of the pack, Alysanne surmised from her size.

Lastly, Owen pointed to the raptor they stood closest to with a growing smile. She was the color of slate, with two, almost metallic, strips of blue and white running down her back. Her slitted eyes not moving from Alysanne. "And Blue, the beta," he announced. Ally ran their names and features back over in her mind until she was sure she could tell them apart for herself.

"If she's the beta," Dr. Sattler began, "then whose the alpha?" She looked over at Owen. He was smirking and there was something roguishly handsome about him at that moment. "You're looking at him," he quipped and for a second she wanted to laugh at the absurd idea, but his confidence and tone told her that he wasn't joking.

Owen tugged on her arm, pulling her into the small holding cage where only a muzzle separated them from the gnashing jaws of the predators. All four raptors watched them, though of them, Blue was the most agitated with their new visitor. She thrashed around, snorting almost, though when Owen glared down at her, calmed, albeit only a little. "We'll start with Charlie," he said. "Blue can be the jealous type," he looked over his shoulder at the beta and in response, the raptor let out a puff of air.

Alysanne had been correct in her assumption that Charlie was the youngest of the pack. Owen told her that she had hatched four months after the other three. Surprisingly enough, when he guided her hand to the rough and scaly skin just below the raptor's eye, she wasn't afraid in the slightest. Ally ran her fingers down and across Charlie's neck and in response it almost sounded as if the raptor was chirping softly. "They're amazing," she breathed, looking back up at Owen.

"You know I once called them 6-foot-turkeys," he stated, mirth lacing the words. Alysanne laughed at the obscure comparison and a large smile broke out across his face. She liked to think that it was this moment that marked the beginning of her downfall. 


	6. six

Ally hopped out of the Jeep and strode toward the Raptor enclosure. It was an odd hour between lunch and dinner, but her fieldwork had been on hold as of late for repairs and in preparation for the proposal, she was going to be working on. It always did her good to have a change of scenery or a break before working on something like that.

"Hi, Barry!" She called as he descended the stairs on the wall of the enclosure. He smiled and fell into step at her side. "What brings you this way?" He asked. She had only been to this part of the island a handful of times, but her last visit had been a couple weeks past.

Alysanne shrugged, sticking her hands into her pockets, "I needed a change of scenery before I start working on this next project proposal." Barry nodded, though he suspected that wasn't the only reason she had come out to the paddock. "Where's Owen?" She finally asked, glancing around that the assistants and workers that were scrambling with buckets of dead mice and barking orders to containing the raptors.

"Back at the resort," he replied. "We're about to bring them in for a checkup, want to help?" He asked, mainly as an afterthought of sorts. She nodded and trailed behind the trainer into the containment chamber where the four harnesses were.

It was a common routine, no doubt, even the velociraptors seemed not to mind the steel doors closing behind them and the thick braces and pulleys that brought them securely into the harnesses. Barry started with Echo, but Alysanne found herself drawn to the beta of the group.

Slowly, she approached Blue, holding out empty hands as if to prove that she wasn't a threat. "Hey, Blue. How are doing girl?" She asked and the raptor snorted. "Do you remember me?" Ally reached forward, meaning to stroke Blue's nose as she done with Charlie, but when her fingertips were only a fraction of an inch away, the raptor jerked violently and opened its mouth as much as the muzzle would allow, baring her teeth.

"Ah!" Ally jumped back and retracted her hand, she glared at the animal, not understanding the animosity between them when the other three didn't seem to mind her all that much. "She thinks you're trying to take her spot," Barry laughed as he walked over to Blue and began stroking the velociraptor's neck. It calmed her in a matter of seconds, though her eyes never strayed from Ally.

"Spot as what?" she asked. He smiled, continuing to rub Blue's neck and cheek, "Owen's favorite girl." Alysanne Sattler felt her eyes widen and heat rush up to her cheeks, that only made Barry laugh again.

✹✹✹

Owen leaned against the against the low railing of the Gentle Giants exhibit. He was watching Alysanne as she ran around the enclosure pen with two apatosauruses and a young gallimimus chasing after her. Soon the time would come when Pat and Sue were too big for this type of play, but until that moment came, she enjoyed their curious and mischievous nature. Slightly out of breath, Ally jumped up to sit on the railing next to Owen, wearing an almost goofy smile.

It was a Friday night, the start of her weekend, and for once it was a true weekend. There were no reports to write or paperwork to be filled out looming over her head. "I've got a twelve pack and big ole pepperoni pizza back at the bungalow if you need to escape," Owen told her after a moment of droll silence. Those words were welcomed music. Life had been hectic for the past month and it had been weeks since she had seen Owen Grady. Maybe even a small part of her had missed him, but she would never give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

Ally popped the top on the can of Bud Light and turned it up to her lips, taking three long drags of the amber liquid. She wiped her lips off with the back of her hand, looked down at the blue and white can, and smiled. "Is it crazy that I've missed cheap beer this much?" Owen laughed as she finished off the can with a contented sigh. "You know what they say about geologists, right?" Ally asked, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. He shook his head and tossed her another can of Bud. "We're the first alcohol-based life form." He reached for another slice of pizza and leaned further back into his lawn chair, chuckling at her poor joke.

Between the two of them, the twelve pack had been polished off within just over an hour but a couple of slices of pizza remained. Alysanne Sattler wasn't on the brink of drunkenness yet, but there was warmth in her stomach and cheeks that made her feel light and carefree. Suddenly she had been transported back to her time as an undergrad, before true responsibilities, before the stresses of adulthood had been thrust upon her. She sighed, a long and deep sigh full of longing, though what caught Owen's attention was that she was looking up at the stars.

It was a clear night, the moon was almost full too. Away from the bright lights of the resort, she could see the stars, clear and plentiful. There was something appealing about the thought of living in a bungalow next to the water, away from the tourists, away from almost everything. Maybe she would ask Claire about a possible arrangement. "What I wouldn't give to be out here every night and actually see the stars."

He looked over at her and smiled. The small fire cast dark shadows across her face and if he squinted he could make out a faint scar just above her upper lip. He didn't say anything in response, only turned his gaze up to the sky as well.

"Hey," Owen started, but then when he looked over at her he saw that she was asleep, curled up on her side with wisps of hair clinging to her damp forehead. Owen Grady shook his head with a sigh as he stood from his lawn chair and bent down to lift her into his arms. His first steps were a little unsteady but with a valiant effort, he managed to push the door to his bungalow open without dropping her or knocking her head against something. He laid her down on the full-sized mattress and draped a thin blanket over her shoulders before picking up a throw from the tatty recliner and heading back outside to his lawn chair by the fire.

Alysanne woke not to the sound of a blaring alarm, but to ribbons of sunlight hitting her face through a set of navy blue curtains. She sat up, feeling oddly refreshed with only a minor headache. It took a moment before her surroundings set in and at first, she panicked, her back going impossibly straight. Her first thought was to feel for her clothes, all of which, except for her shoes, were still in place. That was when she remembered last night, the pizza, the cheap beer, the half-tipsy conversations and jokes she and Owen had shared.

Ally looked around the trailer and found that asides from her, it was empty. She leaned down to pick up her hiking boots when a sticky note crunched under her shifting weight.  _Didn't want to wake you up_. The note read.  _Leftover pizza's in the fridge_. Alysanne smiled.


	7. seven

Dr. Alysanne Sattler leaned against the metal railing of the bridge spanning the Raptor Paddock. Watching the pack of four raptors devour the white rats that Owen tossed down whenever they heeded a command or correctly performed a simple task. It seemed that the raptors were more like parrots or crows that had been trained, or strangely vicious puppies. Echo snapped at Delta. "I don't get it," he said, frustration lacing his words, "they never behave when you're here." Alysanne would have taken it as an insult if she didn't understand the dynamics of the pack. If Barry was right, then they all felt threatened by her presence, especially Blue.

She stepped back from the railing, half standing behind Owen to see if that might makes them listen. It didn't. There was another set of rats in the metal bucket hooked on the side of the railing. Owen raised his clicker, but they wouldn't respond. Groaning at their impertinence, he tossed the remaining rats into the enclosure, "There you stupid birds."

The sun was close to setting, but the sky had already been painted in bright pinks, reds, and oranges despite the dark clouds that lingered on the western side of the island. It would be a stormy summer night. Owen wiped his hands on his thighs and headed toward the stairs. "Want to grab something to eat at the resort?" He asked. It had become a common occurrence for the two of them to spend an evening together at least once a week, whether it be at the resort or grilling something at his bungalow. "I've got some paperwork to turn in over that way before they send the paper police out here again."

Ally laughed. Claire had sent the so-called paper police out for her twice and it was not a pleasant experience. In fact, the first time they had heckled her for a paper, she threatened to quit. Science writing was not a quick or easy process, and others didn't seem to understand that. She followed Owen around the enclosure and stopped in her tracks at seeing him straddle a motorcycle. "We're taking that?"

"Yeah," he shrugged, "what's wrong with a motorcycle?"

"Nothing!" Alysanne said, too quickly and with a certain amount of forcefulness. "I just prefer four wheels," she explained, feeling defensive of the irrational fear. She mounted the Triumph Scrambler behind him and brought her feet up to the foot pegs, impatient to be on their way and to have two feet on the ground again.

"You good back there?" Owen asked and she could hear the smugness in his voice as he cranked the motorcycle, its engine a low deep rumble.

"So long as you don't manage to throw me off," Ally retorted, "I don't fancy a head injury."

"Well hold on," he countered, just glancing over his shoulder. "I won't bite," there was a wide grin on his face, "not unless you ask me too," he added after a moment. Alysanne rolled her eyes, "Unbelievable," she uttered, wrapping her arms around Owen and locking her fingers together on his abdomen.

She had squeezed her eyes closed when they started down the rough, dirt service road and out of instinct she pressed her face further into Owen's back to shield herself from the wind and falling leaves. Ally noticed that the road didn't seem as rough after about ten minutes and it didn't really register that they had stopped moving, her arms were still squeezing him, her cheek pressed into his back with eyes screwed shut.

"Ally," Owen said in a low voice, poking her interlocked fingers, "You can let go now." Her eyes went wide and she quickly pulled her arms back, hoping the tinge of pink that had come to her cheeks wasn't too visible. "Sorry," she mumbled, but he only smiled.

Sunrio was beginning to empty out and the storm was picking up. Even the lights began to flicker after a particularly sharp bolt of lightning. Ally downed the rest of her Matador cocktail as a loud clap of thunder echoed through the building. She didn't particularly like storms. She and Owen stood beneath the awning as the rain came down in hard, pelting sheets. "You can't drive back in this," she said.

He shrugged, "I could." He'd been caught in a storm on the island once or twice before.

"But I'm not going to let you," Ally stated, "you're one of the only tolerable people on this island, I can't risk you getting zapped by lightning." She grabbed hold of his hand and began running toward the Hilton Inn. By the time the elevator brought her to one of the top floors there was a puddle of water forming around her and Owen's feet and the air conditioner sent cold chills through her body.

She pulled free her room key and held it to the lock until it flashed green. Her room was dark until she fumbled around and found the light switch that turned the lamps on. Owen looked around, it was just an average hotel room. Small bathroom and closet, one king bed, two nightstands, a dresser, and a breakfast table that she had turned into a desk. "So this is where they stuck you," he mused, understanding at least partly why she enjoyed his small share of the island so much.

"The Barracks were full and new bungalows are still under construction," Ally shrugged and tossed her phone and keycard onto a cluttered desk. "It's not ideal, but I don't mind." She turned toward the small dresser and dug around in one of the drawers, finding an old college shirt and a pair of oversized lounge pants that she had raided from the men's section at some department store. "Here," she said, handing him the bundle of clothes, "I think they should fit." He took them and turned to the bathroom. As soon as the door was shut, Alysanne stripped out of her soaked clothing and slipped into a sweatshirt and a pair of polka dot sleep shorts.

Alysanne moved her computer and paperwork from the still neatly made side of the bed and to the breakfast table. Owen came from the bathroom, having already hung up his soaking clothes from the shower bar and towel rack. When Ally turned to look over her shoulder, she had to remind herself that it was rude to stare. The lounge pants fit, he explained, but her old University of New Mexico shirt didn't.

For some reason, it wasn't as awkward as Ally thought it would be. After all, she wasn't blind and there was a very attractive man reclined on her bed. Instead, she crawled under the covers, flipped off the lamp, and curled into herself. "G'night, Owen," she mumbled.

"Night, Ally," he grumbled in response.

No, sharing a bed, to begin with, wasn't a problem or awkward, but waking up and discovering that Owen Grady was a cuddler  _was_  a problem. It was six o'clock when she woke up to a heavy weight around her legs and waist. That was when she remembered the storm, and Owen, who was now wrapped around her like a koala bear clinging to a stalk of eucalyptus. He was still snoring, albeit softly.

For a moment, she just lay there, contemplating the best course of action. One that preferably wouldn't damage the year of work that had gone into their friendship. "Owen," she poked his shoulder and arm, but the nettlesome raptor trainer only groaned and tightened his arms around her. "Owen," she said again, and this time one of his eyes opened into a narrow slit, yet he didn't try to move. "Owen, I have to pee." That was when his arms loosened and he pulled his legs free from hers. She escaped from his grasp and scuttled off to the bathroom.

She emerged a minute later with messy hair and a sleepy smile. "Sleep well?" Ally asked.

Owen nodded. "Like a log." He replied, sitting up to stretch. She could hear his shoulders pop. "You?" He questioned in return. Alysanne Sattler flopped back down on her bed, a hazy, dreamy look in her eyes. Owen laughed and took that as her answer.

  ✹✹✹  

It was maybe four days after the storm when Ally and Claire were having lunch together at Winston's. Their plates had been cleared away, but two wine glasses still sat on the white tablecloth between them. "It's against park regulations to date an employee," the redhead said out of nowhere, there was a cold type of indifference in her voice that made it seem like she was just talking to a regular worker, not one of her closest friends.

Alysanne Sattler's brows formed a deep furrow, "What's that supposed to mean? I've been single since high school." It was the truth, sure there were a couple of poor choices that were sprinkled throughout her college and professional years, but her life had been dominated by research. Relationships were a frivolity that she did not have time to indulge in.

"You and Owen," She said, as if it should be obvious, "We saw him on tape leaving your room."

"We're not together, Claire." She almost dared to think that her old friend looked relieved, "and besides I'm not a park employee, I'm a visiting scientist, remember?" Ally took a long sip of her wine, suddenly the vintage wasn't strong enough. Suddenly she wanted a shot of tequila or twelve. "Wait a minute, are you spying on me?"

Claire didn't answer. It seemed absurd to think she or anyone else at Jurassic World would be that concerned with her activities. The Park Operations Manager stood from her chair and smoothed her lilac skirt down. "Your monthly report is late by the way," she said before leaving. Ally scowled at the redhead and finished off her glass of wine before reaching across the table and downing the rest of Claire's too. 


	8. eight

As was becoming a common occurrence, Alysanne Sattler set in one of the lawn chairs at Owen's bungalow. It was the Fourth of July and despite the holiday, the park wasn't all that busy for the summer season. Attendance had been in decline for a while, but Ally didn't mind it, nor did Owen. He flipped two hamburgers on the grill, insisting that since she was a guest, he would do the cooking.

It was an amusing sight to say the least, especially when he nearly caught his stained apron on fire in an attempt to show off his 'skills' as he had called them. Ally set the picnic table and popped the top off of two beers, setting one by each of the paper plates. Owen placed two cheeseburgers on the open buns and slid them onto the plates.

The level of domesticity that she was able to slip into around him in moments like this was startling. A fiery sun was setting behind the mountain as they began to clean up from the summer feast. Condiments were shoved back into a small refrigerator with leftovers and utensils and plates were tossed into the sink to be dealt with at a later time. Owen grabbed two beers, tossing one over to Ally as she took a seat in one of the lawn chairs, still munching on a bag of potato chips.

A content type of silence came over them. Ally had always found that it was a rare thing to be comfortable in silence with someone. After several beers though, both his and her knack for hush was in the past. Alysanne looked over at Owen and found herself wondering if they would have been friends as children, if she could have tolerated him through middle and high school. She took a long sip of the Bud Light and threw her legs over the side of the chair. "What was Owen Grady like as a kid?"

His grin was toothy and oddly boyish. "Troublemaker, trickster, slacker." Those were the titles he had earned himself as a kid. His grin faded though and with a deep sigh, he took another swig of the pale lager. "Mom was a nurse," he told her. It was a good thing his mom had been a nurse, otherwise, he probably would have spent most of his childhood in the emergency room waiting for braces and stitches. "Dad was kind of an asshole," he added with a shrug, not offering to say anything else on the topic. That was something Ally could understand.

"How did you get involved with this?" Only on brief occasions did Owen ever talk about his time in the Navy. Ally knew that he had been deployed two times, once to the Middle East and a second time to Somalia. Other than that he kept quiet, even about how he stumbled into becoming a behavioral researcher for raptors. "InGen pulled me into this shit after I got out of the Navy." She nodded, accepting the brief answer. "You?" He asked, one eyebrow quirked upward in question.

"Curious and rambunctious mostly." Her mother had told her that was exactly how Ellie was when they were younger. Always off on some adventure or hidden away with a book or two. Ally had always taken more after Ellie than her mother.

"Never knew my dad," she said, shrugging too. At some point, it had bothered her but after high school and college, she couldn't find it in herself to care anymore. "Mom says he was some bigshot volcanologist that wouldn't settle down. To be honest he probably doesn't know I exist." That had been the nature of her conception, a one-night stand while her mom was in college. He had left the next morning, never even looking back once. "I eventually found out who he was, though. Dr. Harry Dalton the so-called savior of Dante's Peak."

Suddenly Ally remembered that she had brought the necessities for s'mores. She hopped up and went to pull her back off the four-wheeler, dumping the contents on the table. Owen looked down at the chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers and then back up at Alysanne Sattler with a drunken smile that made her heart fumble just a little more than it already had.

Their chairs were arm-to-arm at the fireside. Ally held a twig over the fire with a marshmallow on the end, Owen had just finished off his fourth s'more. With another twelve pack sitting in a tub of ice, it was the beginning of a good night. Off in the distance came the first thunderous sound of a firework going off. Then another, and another. Once or twice Ally was able to catch the reflection of one on the lake's surface or see the burst of colored light over the mountain.

✹✹✹

"Ally?" It was the distant calling of her name that stirred her from a peaceful trance while watching the Gallimimus herd, "Alysanne!" This time the call was louder and really, really close. Ally leaned forward from her favorite perch in one of the trees to see Owen looking around the valley, scratching his head as if deeply puzzled.

She smiled, somehow Owen Grady had worked his way under her skin and she quite enjoyed his company. "What are you doing out here?" Ally called down. He jumped and glanced up at the tree, seeing her legs dangling from one of the branches. "I brought lunch!" Owen held up a large brown paper bag.

"I'm working!" She told him, though there was nothing in her tone that would've made it seem that she'd prefer to be left alone. "Well, I'm not. Can I come up?" He responded. She didn't say anything in turn, but the rustling of leaves and branches told her that he was climbing the large tree.

Owen perched himself on a branch next to her and leaned back against the tree trunk, unrolling the paper bag. He passed Ally a sandwich wrapped up in saran and a bottle of water. "So this is what you do every day," he sighed, looking over the green plains of the valley floor and was almost envious of how calm it seemed.

"Not every day," she said, taking another bite of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "And thanks, by the way," she mumbled, mouth still full of bread. Owen nodded, smiling.

"It's a curious thing," she started, a thoughtful expression coming over her sun-kissed features. Owen looked over at her, suddenly entranced by what she had to say, "life, and the way we can alter it." He leaned forward and looked at the roaming herds and groups that littered the valley.

"The Baryonyx, just there, and the Suchomimus are both relatives of the Spinosaurus -arguably more dangerous than the T-Rex," Ally paused and watched as the two predators roamed the plains without complaint or incident, "yet they don't seem to care that they're surrounded by a buffet of Triceratops or Parasaurolophus. They're given ample meat every day. It's Pavlov's Dogs all over again, except this time they're five-ton carnivores."

Owen saw a twinkle in her eye that he had never seen before. In truth, he had never heard her speak about the dinosaurs or her findings before. There was a burning passion within her and he couldn't help but admire it. The herd of Gallimimus passed by revealing a pack of Stegosaurus lingering by the opposite tree line.

"The Stegosaurus are also peculiar, they're from the Jurassic period and form close knitted groups, families almost. But you see that Triceratops with them?" She pointed to a small Triceratops that had the tip of her nasal horn broken off. Owen nodded. "They took her in. She was smaller than the others that hatched and bullied until they took her in. Now she displays some behavioral traits of a Stegosaurus." Ally grabbed her camera and zoomed in on the group, taking another picture of strange but growing pack of misfits. "These two species were separated by a hundred million years and yet here they coexist. It's wonderful and fascinating, and completely unnatural," there had been wonder and mirth in her voice.

"What about my raptors?" He asked and Ally hadn't realized how close they were until now. When she turned toward him, their noses could almost touch. His eyes flicked down to her parted lips, but she pretended not to notice. "Like just about most of the animals in this park, they're from the Cretaceous period and should be smaller," she started, the classic rendering of a velociraptor popped into her mind, three feet tall with wings and sharp claws, vastly different than the ones Dr. Wu had bred. Ally looked at Owen and smiled, "and covered in feathers. Like a vicious oversized chicken."

That earned a slight chuckle from the raptor trainer. "That doesn't sound very scary."

"No, not particularly scary" she agreed. "Your girls are closer to the Utahraptor in appearance," she explained, "but when John Hammond first opened Jurassic Park no one knew that the Utahraptor existed, and even so, you gotta admit Velociraptor is a cooler name." Owen found that her smile was contagious. 

"How'd you go from seashells to dinosaurs?" Owen thought that seemed like a strange jump. When she first told him she was a paleontologist, he had just assumed she worked with dinosaurs, but instead, she had started talking about brachiopods, bryozoans, and trilobites. None of which were exhibits at Jurassic World, he hadn't even known what they were at first. 

She shrugged, "I've always liked dinosaurs. When I was little I used to follow Alan around everywhere when he came to visit and even though Ellie was a paleobotanist, she still talked about them." Ally remembered how Alan hated her constant pestering, much to Ellie's amusement. A lone Apatosaurus began a slow approach toward the tree they were perched in. "I started out with invertebrates because they're understudied and can tell us so much about the past environment. I just wanted to make a name for myself away from the shadow my aunt cast."

Owen jumped a little when the Apatosaurus pushed its head through the foliage of the tree. Ally laughed and gripped onto his arm to keep him from tumbling off the branch. "She won't hurt you." He nodded and steadied himself.

"Brachiosaurus?" Owen asked, but she shook her head and led his hand to the thick patch of skin between her nostrils. "Apatosaurus." He almost frowned when her soft touch faded, but he kept himself occupied with the herbivore. Ally dug around in her pack and produced a head of broccoli, undoubtedly stolen from the cafeteria. "Here," she said, passing the vegetable to Owen. He took the vegetable from her and held it up for the Apatosaurus. She sniffed it, then stretched her neck and gently pulled the head of broccoli from his hands.


	9. nine

A loud knock resounded through her hotel room. Alysanne saved the open word document and set her laptop on the small balcony table. It was late. Almost midnight. She unlocked the door and opened it to find Owen Grady standing in her doorway. It had been well over a week since the two had last seen one another. "Owen," she breathed, a mixture of feeling welling up in her gut.

He frowned at seeing how red her eyes were. "Is this a bad time?" He asked. She quickly shook her head and stepped aside, ushering him into the room. It was in disarray. There were papers everywhere, the bed was unmade, and a pile of dirty (or maybe they were clean) clothes sat piled up at the foot of the bed. "I'm -ah, just finishing up a report for Claire." As if suddenly aware of the horrific state of her room, she pushed papers aside, throwing them onto her desk. A flush of color from embarrassment came to her cheeks, "Sorry for the mess."

He shook his head, amused by her flustery panic. "I brought pizza?" He held up the box, having nearly forgotten the reason he had trekked across the resort.

In the morning, an empty pizza box laid on the floor, a laptop screen was still alight on the balcony table, and Alysanne Sattler lay nearly on top of Owen Grady with his arm loosely around her waist. She couldn't will herself to get out of bed just yet, so instead, she shifted closer to him and let out a quiet, contented sigh.

✹✹✹

It was unexpected, to say the least, but her phone began buzzing violently on the scratched bamboo and wood bar at Margaritaville. It was Sally Sattler. Alysanne picked up her phone and pressed the green button. "Hi mam!" she called when her mother's face focused in. Before she could get up and leave to speak outside the busy restaurant Owen leaned over too, wearing a lopsided smile. "Hi mam!" he echoed. Ally frowned for a moment, deciding it would be inappropriate to push him off the barstool. Instead, she rolled her eyes, elbowing him in the ribs as she stood to take the call outside.

She wouldn't have even needed to see her mom's expression to know that she was smirking. "Ally, who was that?" Came the question in a coy tone that made her want to hang up that very second. That was the problem with the Sally and Ellie Sattler, the two of them were constantly heckling her about settling down, finding Mr. Right and all that other kind of bullshit. Ally pinched the bridge of her nose. "That was Owen," she replied, a hint of annoyance coming through, "he's the raptor trainer, here."

"Are you two-," she began to ask, hopeful that the answer would finally be yes, but Alysanne shook her head. "No!" the forceful nature of the exclamation almost made it seem like the opposite was true, "No, mam."

"He's very nice looking," her mother mused; an offhand comment that made Ally roll her eyes. "I know. I'm not blind," she retorted with a soft scoff.

"I was just calling to check on you. Haven't heard anything from you," Sally said but Ally shrugged, never really having been one for phone calls, "I'm good, work's good. Everything's good." Sally Sattler smiled, but the phone shook her in her hand and resulted in a blurry image, that had been one of the side-effects of the chemo. "How's home? How are you?"

"Everyone's fine." She answered, nodding. "I'm fine, just getting old." There was a moment's pause. "Are you coming home for Christmas?" It was only then that Ally realized that it was November already, only three weeks before Christmas. Jurassic World didn't close though, it was open three-hundred and sixty-five days a year, rain or shine. It was hard to believe that over a year had gone by since she accepted the research position. "I -I don't know yet."

"Well if you do just let me know," she smiled, "I love you."

Ally blew a kiss toward the phone, "Love you too, mam."

✹✹✹

She really couldn't remember the exact conversation they were having when he asked or the exact question that made it sound different than any other time he'd asked for a bite of food at the resort. All she knew was that a flush of color had rushed up to his cheeks and hers as well. There were butterflies in her stomach. "Are you asking me on a date?" Alysanne smiled. She wondered it if would ruin everything if she told him she'd never been on a date before.

"Maybe?" he said, shrugging, but then he scratched the back of his neck, she had noticed he did that whenever he was anxious or worried about something. "Yeah?" Ally's smile grew wider. "I'm down," she announced, almost surprised by how easily she had said it.

Owen glanced at her with one of his brows quirked upward. "What?" Ally asked, laughing at the stunned expression that had formed on his freckled face. "That's not really the kind of answer I was expecting," he confessed, still flushed.

Ally nudged him in the side, looking up at him. That broke him from his boyish antics. "I like being around you, Owen." She wondered if her time on Isla Nublar would have lasted this long if she hadn't bumped into Owen Grady on her first night in Margaritaville. He was fun to be around and the time they spent together was never boring. "I like you." She must have sounded inept with that admission.

"I -ah," he stumbled over the words and went back to scratching the back of his neck, "I like you too."

  ✹✹✹  

Alysanne had been perched within her favorite tree in the Gyrosphere Valley when Owen found her during his lunch break. He clambered up the tree and onto one of the branches next to Ally, dropping a bag with a de-crusted PB&J sandwich into her lap. She gave him a smile of thanks in return, forgetting a lunch was a terrible habit she'd had since high school.

A small sharp jolt shook the tree, startling Ally to the point where her field notebook fell from her knee and to the ground below. She looked over at Owen, "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Owen asked, his brows furrowed at the sudden question.

"Nothing," she uttered, shaking her head. He gave a look, one that she knew meant he was expecting an explanation for the sudden question. Ally sighed, "It felt like an earthquake." It sounded ridiculous saying it aloud, but she had studied dig sites along active faults and the tremor of an earthquake was almost unmistakable.

Owen cracked a smile and nudged her shoulder. "Or maybe it was a twenty-three-ton dinosaur," he supplemented, "or the wind". The only problem with that statement was that today on the plains there wasn't an Apatosaurus or Brachiosaurs in sight. It was just herds of Gallimimus and Parasaurolophus. And the weather had been mild for the autumn, so she let the thought slip out of her mind for now. 

When her shift was done that evening and she and Owen went their separate ways, Ally turned toward the park's control center, having examined several bedrock exposures along the way.

Alysanne pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. None of the workers had ever noted anything resembling an earthquake, after all, the earth seemed to shake every time one of the fully grown Apatosaurus took a step in the valley. Even so, a basic profile of the exposed rock outcrops around the island revealed its andesitic nature, intermixed with layers of pale rhyolitic ash. They had built the theme park on a volcanic island, not once, but twice. "Does this island have any seismometers?"

Dylan Lester shook his head, not looking up from his tablet. He was the resident geologic engineer on the island, yet Dr. Sattler doubted his qualifications for the position after speaking with him on several occasions. This time would prove to be no different. "No, why do you ask?"

She gritted her teeth together at the lack of consideration to take natural disasters into account of the park's behalf. "I'm requesting that we get a network of them around the island." It would ease her mind and could, in the worse situation, prove to be a valuable tool.

"What?" Dylan asked, finally looking up from the game on his tablet. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and frowned. Ally crossed her arms. "This is a volcanic island and we do not know if and how active it is. Seismic activity is our best predictor of volcanism. I suggest we work on having a network installed around the island for the sake of the twenty-thousand tourists that are regularly on the island."


	10. ten

It was a Sunday afternoon with clear skies and a soft breeze that filtered beneath the thick foliage of the trees. Owen made a path through the underbrush near the raptor paddock, toward the beach. He was dressed properly for the occasion, navy and white swim trunks with a grey tank top. Ally, on the other hand, was less thrilled about the prospect but tagged along regardless, if only to see more of the island.

"It's a tropical island! It'd be a shame if you didn't go to the beach." Is what he had said. Ally had crossed her arms and given him a stern look that her graduate students would have been all too familiar with. "I prefer dry land, thank you very much." She had grown up in the Midwest and had always been content that they were hundreds of miles from open water.

That didn't stop him from hoisting her up and over his shoulder and charging toward the clear blue water once they emerged from the tree line and onto the sandy beach. Alysanne Sattler pounded her fists against his back, "Owen Grady, put me down this instant!"

He laughed and shook his head, "You're going in." The spray of the water speckled her cheeks and sound of breaking waves filled her ears. Ally squeezed her eyes shut. "PUT ME DOWN!"

She felt his slight shrug and could picture his triumphant smirk, "If you say so." He dropped her down into the water without warning. Ally resurfaced, spluttering and struggling to keep her head above the waves as she treaded water to get back to the sand.

Owen caught her arm when the water was only waist deep but she shrugged him off and turned, punching him in the shoulder as hard as she could manage. "You asshole!" she exclaimed, shoving him backward, at first, he took it for a joke yet there was no mirth in her tone or expression. "I don't know how to swim."

Owen's expression paled. "Sorry," he said quickly, "god I'm sorry." He reached out, taking her into his arms, keeping the both of them above the water's surface. Now he truly did feel like an asshole, he frowned, resting his chin on top of her head. "I've got you." She didn't say anything in response, just shut her eyes and listened to the waves.

They swayed in the water, never straying far from shore. "What if I teach you how?" He suddenly asked, a glint of waggishness in his eye. Ally looked up at him with a quirked brow. "Just in case, I don't know," he rambled, but then a serious look appeared on his face, "you fall into Mo's tank?"

Alysanne's questioning look turned into a harsh glare, "You wouldn't."

Owen shrugged. "Accidents happen," he smirked.

✹✹✹

Somehow, word had gotten around to all the park employees that Alysanne Sattler and Owen Grady were a  _thing_  now. In truth, most had suspected something for a while, after all, if she wasn't with Claire, she was always with Owen. Speaking of Claire, the redhead sat across from Ally at one of the small tables in Yoshinoya, though so far, neither of them had spoken a word.

Alysanne took a sip of chilled sake. "Claire," she acknowledged, sounding oddly formal and reserved. Claire Dearing sat with her perfect posture in a dress suit of cobalt blue. "Ally," she said in return. Two plates of sushi were placed on the table, though neither made a move toward them.

Alas Ally sighed, prolonged awkward silences made her uneasy. "I've known you long enough to know when you're jealous, Claire." Alysanne quirked one of her eyebrows upward at the redhead. That was the only possible explanation left to explain why she had been so distant since their shortened lunch at Winston's.

She sighed and let her shoulders fall forward with a slight roll of her eyes. "I went out with him," she started, though she was quick to modify that statement, "once." Ally would have never even imagined that a date between two people like them would be possible. "He's just so ruggedly handsome that I couldn't help it, but it didn't work out." She still cringed at the thought of their date night, apparently, their definitions of casual dress had been much different, and her punctuality wasn't appreciated either. "He's too much of a slob."

Ally couldn't disagree with that statement per se, but she had come to expect some degree of untidiness from almost everyone, hell, according to Claire's standards she was a slob too. She took another long sip of sake, "and you're just too uptight."

The redhead raised her brow as if to say 'excuse me.' "He wore board-shorts!" She exclaimed in defense as if it were an equivalent crime to murder.

"It's Central America!" Ally shrugged, laughing, "It's hot."

That silenced the redhead as she picked up a piece of nigiri. "You two are almost the same person," she muttered, "It's scary." Ally rolled her eyes and reached for a slice of makizushi with her chopsticks. They ate in silence after that, the type of silence that exists between close friends.

Claire straightened her blouse as they stepped back into the crowded walkway. "If he makes you happy, then I'm happy," she said out of the blue in a manner that reminded her of Claire and Karen's mother.

"Claire!" Ally laughed, disbelieving that not even two weeks ago she was hardly speaking to her out of jealousy. She shrugged. "What? It's true! You've been perpetually single since we met almost twenty years ago." It always stung a bit when other people pointed out her lack of love life. "I'm glad that you found someone and that you haven't resigned to being forever alone."

The park operations manager looked down at her watch, it was almost five and for once her shift could end on time if it meant patching things up with an old friend. "Drinks?" She asked, and that was an offer that Dr. Alysanne Sattler could not refuse.

  ✹✹✹ 

"It's karaoke night!" Owen exclaimed, pulling Alysanne from the crowded main street and into Margaritaville. She pressed her heels into the concrete, making it harder for him to pull her along by the arm and shaking her head the whole time. "Oh no. There's no way I'm doing that," she stated. She was a woman of science, not one that partook in frivolities such as karaoke.

"I hate you," she deadpanned now that they were standing in the small area that had been cleared out for the occasion.

"No you don't," Owen laughed.

"I'm picking the songs then," Ally retorted, skimming through the song list, a mixture of old rock and country songs, most of which she happened to know. Owen glanced over her shoulder at the screen and saw the song title that she was lingering on. "Why?" He groaned.

"It's Margaritaville," she countered as if it should be an obvious answer to her song selection, "I have to." Owen couldn't stop her time before she pressed play and the speakers started with the sound of a country band. The two of them stepped up to the microphone just as the lyrics began, but halfway through the first verse Owen stopped, but Ally continued.

" _Pour me something tall and strong_  
 _Make it a hurricane before I go insane_  
 _It's only half past twelve but I don't care_  
 _It's five o'clock somewhere_."

The restaurant erupted into applause and Ally smiled at Owen, it was bashful in nature though. His eyes had gone wide at the realization that she could sing, and sing well. They stayed for drinks and left stumbling out near closing time, laughing. Her place was closer and once they clambered out of the elevator and into the hotel room, the both of them plopped face down on the bed.


	11. eleven

Owen leaned against the door frame of his bungalow, arms crossed as he watched Ally move toward the small off-road vehicle she had driven over from the park. He had asked her to stay the night, but it wasn't the weekend yet and she had to finish up a report and review a journal article for publication in  _Acta Palaeontologica Polonica_. She had kissed his cheek and snatched her bucket hat from off his messy head. "You should come see the girls again," he said before she could turn the ignition.

"I don't know, Owen." She had gone to the paddock about a month ago and the entire time they had been agitated, unwilling to go through even the most basic routine drills. And when his girls did not listen, Owen turned into a grumpy grouch, "You've said it yourself, they don't exactly behave when I'm around."

That was when he smirked and pushed his weight off the camper. "I know," he agreed, coming down the porch steps to where the Kawasaki Tery was parked, "but I gave them a stern talkin-to." Ally laughed, that was a sight she wished she could have seen. Owen Grady scolding a pack of velociraptors for their bad behavior.

"Fine," she conceded, adding a touch of exasperation to her voice, "but you have to come see Pat and Sue." The two Apatosaurus hatchlings had outgrown the Gentle Giants enclosure, but there weren't quite at the right age to enter the valley with the other herds yet.

"Deal," he replied, leaning down quickly to kiss Ally's cheek before stepping back as she cranked the small vehicle and put it in drive.

At the end of the week, she found herself outside the raptor paddock. "Barry!" Ally called, waving toward him as he came down the stairs from the overhead bridges as she approached the holding gate.

He jogged over to her, smiling, "was starting to think Owen had run you off."

Alysanne Sattler laughed, "I can handle Mr. Grady." If what the others told her was to be believed she was the only person on the island that could put up with the nettlesome raptor trainer. Barry waved her over through the containment gate where the four raptors had been secured in their harnesses. "C'mon, we're just about to do a checkup before training starts."

Barry opened the gate for her and she immediately approached Blue, knowing that if the Beta were to accept her, then the others would as well. If would be worth a try anyway, especially since Owen had claimed to have scolded them like rowdy teenagers.

"Hey, Blue," Alysanne said, softly as one might speak to a child. The raptor watched her with those yellow slitted eyes. "How are you girl?" Blue huffed, but didn't gnash her teeth or jerk around within her harness, she kept still. Ally held out her hand and touched the tips of her fingers to the raptor's cheek. She snorted, but that was it. "That's it," Ally whispered, pressing the whole of her hand against the rough scales, "I'm not gonna hurt you."

Owen leaned against the bars of the cage and kept silent. "See? I'm not so bad." For a moment it almost sounded like the raptor had begun to purr. Alysanne smiled, a strange feeling of relief came over her at the acceptance of the pack's second in command.

"Looks like she knows your Missus Alpha now," Owen smirked and she jumped away from the raptor, turning to glare at him.

✹✹✹

The third step in transitioning a dinosaur to the valley was another type of nursery on the eastern side of the island, away from the hustle and bustle of the park itself. In Pat and Sue's particular enclosure, there were a handful of other herbivores in the final stages of the transition. Ally swiped her key card and pressed the four-digit pin number that opened the final gate to the paddock.

"When do you think they'll be able to go out in the valley?" Owen asked as he approached them. The two young Apatosaurus were already weighing in a just over one ton and stood ten feet tall at the hip, but like most oversized animals, they still believed they were small enough to be coddled and played with.

Ally reached up and patted Sue on the neck. "Maybe in another two months. They're growing a little bit slower than some of the other hatches." Alysanne had looked over all the old growth curves and statistics and based on their weight and height, they were developing just a little slower than the other hatchlings had. She suspected it was because they had hatched almost two weeks early.

Owen dug around in the pockets of his vest and pulled out two red apples, one of which he tossed over to Ally. She smiled at him and held the red fruit up, just above her head and he did the same. The two Apatosauruses knew a treat when they saw it, Ally had spoiled them just a little bit, after all. In one go the weight of the apple disappeared from her hand.

One them, she could be sure which, nudged her in the back hard enough to knock her forward toward Owen. She looked over her shoulder and glared, finding that it was Sue. This time when she was nudged it was enough to knock her off her feet and into Owen. The raptor trainer caught her arms before she could fall, he was smiling and the Apatosauruses seemed pleased with themselves as well.

Time slowed for only a couple of seconds while he held her up from falling. "I've got something I want to show you," Owen said. He took Ally's hand and led her out of the paddock and over toward where his motorcycle was propped up by the kickstand.

She straddled the bike behind him and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle. "Where are we going?" she asked before he could rev the engine. Owen looked over his shoulder, a soft smirk on his expression, "You'll see."

By the time they reached the cliff's edge on the eastern side of the island, the sun was dipping below the water's surface behind them. The clouds that had gathered dissipated. It was a full moon that night and it shone with a bright silvery light that reflected off the dark surface of the ocean. She hadn't really taken the time to look at the moon or night sky, but now she began to wonder how she had ever missed it.

Ally tried to hide the blush that rose to her cheeks when he tossed his arm around her shoulders. She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow to break the silence. "Didn't peg you for a hopeless romantic."

He smiled and pulled her a little bit closer. "I have my moments."

✹✹✹ 

Ally pulled up to Owen's bungalow on a borrowed four-wheeler and shut off the engine. She sighed as he stood up from his bike, throwing aside a wrench and wiping his hands on a grease rag. "What are you doing out here this early?" He asked, brow raised. She rarely showed up before noon, but it was well before lunch.

She shrugged and shoved her hands into her pockets. "Off day," she commented and he smiled before digging around in his toolbox for a smaller socket for the wrench. Alysanne Sattler sat down on the picnic table next to his bike. "How are the girls?" Ally asked. It had been a little while since she seen them.

Owen shook his head and knelt back down next the motorcycle. "Pretty good," he remarked, a tinge of sarcasm working its way into his voice, "considering they almost ate the new guy." Ally's eyes widened, she had known they were looking for a new assistant at the paddock, but even Owen's sweet talking couldn't get her to transfer from the valley. "When I –ah," he tightened one of the sockets, "-finish this repair, would you want to go down to the beach?"

Ally watched as the white SUV pulled up in front of the bungalow and frowned when she saw who got out of the driver's seat. "I don't think we'll be going anywhere, Owen." He looked at her with a slight frown and upon noticing Claire Dearing walking toward them in high heels and a white dress suit, his frown deepened.


	12. twelve

Ally eyed her redheaded friend as she straightened her blouse. There was an unhidden look of discomfort that had come over Clear Dearing's expression. "Claire," she greeted.

"Ally," was the countered response that came with a clipped tone. "Mr. Grady!" She called. Owen stood from where he had been crouched down at the bike, wiping his hands on his pants this time. Ally looked between the two with a raised brow as it was obvious that Claire didn't want to be here. "We need you to inspect the paddock for our newest asset."

Jurassic World had the best structural engineers and a clean record over the years of its operation, it seemed odd that suddenly they'd want Owen to inspect a paddock. Regardless, Ally trailed along behind Claire and Owen, slipping into the backseat of the SUV.

Briefly, the park operations manager explained that attendance had been in a slow and steady decline, so to reinvigorate interest, the company had unanimously decided to move ahead with genetic engineering and hybridization. It seemed an obvious answer considering that kids were no longer impressed with a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Ally leaned forward onto the center console from the backseat. "You genetically engineered a dinosaur?" She asked, not quite believing that she had heard it right the first time. It seemed like a pretty dumb idea given that there were still numerous dinosaurs that they could bring back.

"The park needed a new attraction," Claire reiterated as if the answer were really that simple.

Dr. Alysanne Sattler pinched the bridge of her nose, "That's not the point, Claire. You threw together some DNA and didn't even think about the repercussions that come with hybrids!" Some of her colleagues were geneticists and biological engineers. She had read a dozen of their papers pointing to the fact that hybrids were often unpredictable. But now there was a carnivorous  _dinosaur_  hybrid to be dealt with. "Did someone ever stop you along the way to say 'hey, maybe this isn't a good idea? That just because we could doesn't mean that we should?'"

"Alysanne," Claire started, hands tightening on the steering wheel, "I'm going to be quite frank and just tell you I'm not in the mood for this."

Alysanne Sattler glared at the redhead. Owen remained oddly silent. "And I really don't care, Claire." Some things needed to be said. "You've been playing God here at this park, eventually the Devil's going to try to sneak back in."

Owen Grady glanced back at Ally and then over at the redhead. "She has a point," he added with a small shrug.

✹✹✹ 

Paddock eleven was a monstrosity that was only growing larger. It offered none of the luxuries of the raptor paddock. The walls were easily over forty feet tall and construction continued to make them taller. It was made solely for containment. The three of them stepped out of the white SUV and walked toward the observation tower. Ally glanced over at Owen as he looked up at the walls with unease, but regardless they both followed Claire up the steps.

Ally looked into the dense jungle foliage of the paddock but saw nothing. No trace that a massive carnivore was living within the steel reinforced walls. She walked to the other end of the observation tower, but there was nothing there either. At the opposite end though was something that made her breath catch. "Owen," Alysanne tugged on his vest then pointed to the wall of the paddock. His eyes widened, "shit."

Claire's face paled as she looked at the deep scratches on the paddock wall. The thermal readings from inside the paddock came back negative. "She has an implant in her back, I can track it from the control room." Then she was gone, zipping down the stairs and into the driver's seat of the white SUV. The tires spun in the loose gravel as she sped away back toward the main park.

Owen glanced between Ally and the computer. "Can you go through the files and footage, make sure no one's tampered with them or the system? Two sets of eyes are better than one." She nodded.

Before he could step out of the observation tower though, she gripped onto his wrist and swallowed the lump in her throat. "You really think she got out?" Owen didn't really know how to answer that question. "Depends on what the lab's cooked up."

Scans of the computer's hard drive and time-lapse footage didn't show anything of interest at the paddock within the past week. The doors remained shut and the only people that were often present were those that were building the wall higher. Unless someone had managed a way to sneak out a nine-ton dinosaur without the camera's detecting it in broad daylight, she didn't know what had happened to the hybrid.

A static and panic filled voice came on over the speakers in the observation room and in the paddock. Ally looked away from the computer screens and into the thick vegetation out of the thick window. The voice came through again, garbled.  _Vivian_. Alysanne slammed her hand down on the intercom button once she caught a snippet of what had been said. "Get out of there now!"

The monitoring room rattled as the containment gates failed. Alysanne raced to the door but stopped herself short of the opening it. Apprehension washed over her. She was just a paleontologist, a geologist, she didn't know the first thing about survival when it involved a fucking dinosaur. Sure, she had heard the stories from Ellie but nothing could have prepared her for this. Ally's hand shook on the door handle, she bit down on her lip, hard, when the hybrid let out a roar that sounded more like an airplane's engines.

 _Owen_ , she thought and panic seized her chest. Heavy footsteps were fading into the thick rainforest. Ally raced down the stairs, taking two and three at a time, her gaze never straying from the destroyed trucks. "Owen?" She called out. There was a strange feeling in her gut that made her feel sick.

It faded in an instant when she saw him pulling himself out from under one of the service trucks. "Owen!" Ally raced over to him, gripping onto his biceps while looking over his face over for any severe wounds. The only thing that was out of place was that he smelled like gasoline. "You're alright."

He nodded, but there was a distant look in his eyes that she had never seen before. Owen pulled her toward a four-wheeler left unscathed by the incident. "We've got to get to Control." Alysanne climbed on behind him, her arms secured around his torso, heart thudded in her chest at every sound. Somehow, this maelstrom felt like Déjà vu.


	13. thirteen

Owen gripped ontoher wrist when she turned off path and toward the visitor's center. "Where are you going?" He asked, unwilling to part with her knowing what had just been released. They both wanted answers, but at the moment, they would find them in different places.

"The lab," she responded and he released her wrist.

Dr. Henry Wu was sitting at his pristine desk nursing a cup of hot tea when she pushed open the door to his office. Alysanne Sattler was red-faced and angry. She had just seen men  _die_  because of the recklessness of the creation lab and to see him without a care was nothing more than a slap in the face.

"What kind of DNA did you use?" It was more of a demand than a question and it startled the lead geneticist more so than her sudden entrance. He sat the teacup down and folded his hands on the table, finding the audacity to smile at her in a manner that bordered on condescending. "I'm sorry Dr. Sattler," he began with a terrible attempt to sound genuine, "but I'm not authorized to disclose that type of information."

Alysanne felt her ears beginning to burn. She pointed toward the door, "I think you can make an exception considering that people are  _dead_  because of the monster you've created." From the corner of her eye, she could see him reaching for the security button beneath his desk. Ally almost wished he would press it.

He opened his mouth to protest, but stood up straight when the door to his office swung open again, "Mr. Masrani." Simon Masrani entered, his own expression was a mixture of things she could not place, but the look he exchanged with Ally told her enough.

Frustrated, Ally left out the lab and joined the crowd of tourists in the innovation center. A hand curled around her bicep, but she had a good guess of who it was. "Get anything?" She turned on her heel and looked up at Owen Grady with a sour expression.

Ally shook her head and tried not to think about the failed exchange. "Wouldn't tell me shit." In all honesty, she probably would have been better off trying to hack into their computers to get answers instead of asking nicely for them. "Your end?" She questioned, noting that he looked even angrier than when they parted.

"A whole containment unit's dead," he muttered, voice low so that no one could overhear them. Alysanne looked around at the throng of people who didn't realize what was happening, oblivious to the dangerous situation that was far from being resolved. "We've got to get these people off this island." Yet telling them that a killer dinosaur had escaped would only create chaos.

"Ally!" She turned to see Claire Dearing rushing toward her through the crowd and in truth, Alysanne couldn't ever remember a time when Claire had been in such a state of distress. "Ally, oh my god."

Alysanne grasped her friend by the forearms, "Breathe, Claire."

Claire nodded and drew in a long, but unsteady breath. "It's Zach and Gray," she said, still frantic. "They're still out there in the Valley."

Owen looked down at the two women. "C'mon," he said, leading them out of the Visitor Center and back around the building where a handful of service vehicles had been left.

✹✹✹

As soon as they came upon the sight, Owen reached over to the passenger seat and gripped onto her hand. "Ally," he looked over at her, gauging her reaction, but her expression seemed blank. The car hadn't even come to a full stop before she had flung open the passenger door and was running toward the unmoving dinosaur. "Ally!"

She fell to her knees and draped herself over the large gash on the neck of the wounded Apatosaurus as if she could provide enough pressure to stop the bleeding. Ally moved up and cradled the dying Apatosaurus's head in her lap. It tried to lift its head, but failed and let out a pained moan that shattered Ally's already aching heart. "Shh sweet girl," she whispered, running one of her hands over the rough skin on its neck. Owen knelt next to her and covered her hand with his own.

They both glanced down at the rifle he had strapped over his shoulder. A lump rose in her throat at the thought, but it pained her even more to see such a gentle creature suffering. "Don't make us do this," she pleaded. The salt of her tears lingered on her tongue. The Apatosaurus took one final breath, slipping away. Owen wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly against him for only a moment before he stood. 

Alysanne rose to her feet and looked out across the valley, where half-a-dozen dead and dying Apatosaurus lay. "It's killing for sport," Owen announced.

She turned back to Claire and sadness turned into anger. "You!" She screamed at the redhead, who flinched at the harsh address. "You did this!" Owen gripped Ally's forearm and pulled her into his chest, at the very least he hoped it would stop her from saying anything else she would later regret. She tried to push him away and but gave up and slumped into his form with hot tears streaking down her face.

She had spent almost three years with these animals, some she had watched hatch and now it had all disappeared in the span of two hours.

Ally remained silent as they continued to drive through the valley, looking for any sign of Claire's two nephews. A section of the fence containing the restricted area had been ripped out and knowing the knack that kids and teens had for going in places they didn't belong, Owen turned the wheel and headed into the forest. 

Next to a broken gyrosphere, they found a cracked cell phone and footsteps leading away from corpses of ankylosaurs. At first, Claire hadn't seen the tracks and picked up the phone with shaking hands until Ally nudged her and pointed away from the demolished ride. They followed the tracks to the edge of a waterfall. "They're still alive," Owen noted if only to reassure Claire. Ally pointed to the small stream that turned to a mucky color and the strip of bank next to it, seeing two sets of footprints, "and they jumped."

Claire stepped closer to the waterfall, looking at the base and into the forest for any sign of her nephews. She cupped her hands together and raised them to her lips. "Zach!" she screamed, "Gray!" Alysanne pulled her back from the waterfall and yanked down her hands. "That's a very bad idea, Claire," she gritted out, tone sharp. 

Dr. Sattler turned back and observed the cliff face of the waterfall, looking for the best way to descend that didn't involve jumping. She turned back to see Owen leaning toward the redhead, his brows in a deep furrow with a tinge of annoyance in his voice, "I was in the Navy, not the Navajo!"

The three of them clambered down the edge of the waterfall and into the dense jungle. Alysanne led the way, with Claire behind her and Owen at the rear. Each step felt like a dangerous game with stakes that were too high. Off in the distance, they could hear what sounded like a car engine rattling and sputtering from disuse. The three of them exchanged a look and began running in the direction where they had heard the sound. 

They came to a small clearing. One of the service vehicles had run into a tree. Owen looked into the small flatbed and then under the hood, finding that the battery was missing, but there was a boy's jacket left in the seat. Ally's attention though had been diverted to the ruined building with crumbling stairs and sidewalks.

"The old park center," Alysanne breathed, looking up at the shattered dome-roof and around at the intricate paintings of dinosaurs on the walls. Even the fossilized bones of a tyrannosaurus rex remained scattered about. Ellie had told her about this place time and time again and in the moment, Jurassic Park sounded much more favorable than Jurassic World. Owen waved her back to him and Claire, finding one of the service garages.

The garage was open with one of the Jeeps missing. Claire felt relief rush through her, she knew in her gut that Zach and Gray had made it out. Owen reached into the second Jeep and turned the ignition, but the battery was dead. He tried it again and there was a spitting sound, but it didn't come from the vehicle. It was the Indominous. Ally rushed to the front of the Jeep, dragging Claire with her. The three of them crouched down and waited with bated breath.

The Jeep pressed against their backs harder. Alysanne looked over at Owen as he reached for his rifle with wide eyes when eerie silence fell over the garage. It happened in all of a second. The I. Rex shoved the Jeep forward. Owen pushed Claire out of the way and jerked Ally from in front of the car before it slammed into the wall and metal workbenches. The ceiling creaked and gave way, crumbling in at the dinosaur's weight. Claire screamed, but the chopping noise of helicopter blades and distant gunfire drew it away from them.

Owen looked across the garage, seeing that the redhead was shaken but not harmed, but then panic rose in his chest when he didn't see Ally next to him.

"Owen!" Her voice was muffled and frightened. He shuffled the debris around, throwing what he could to the side until he could see her face. Ally coughed and tried to move but something was still trapping her legs beneath the sheet of tin roof and it was growing harder to breathe. Owen cradled her head, brushing the hair away from the gash that had opened up on her forehead just above her brow. Tears gathered in her eyes at the shooting pain she felt in her ankle. "Shh," Owen whispered, "I've got you, baby."

"My legs are stuck," there was panic in her voice, no matter how hard she tried to remain calm and it made her chest feel incredibly tight. He looked around, panic rising in his own chest. The debris would be too heavy for him and Claire to lift without someone or something to help, he needed leverage.

He'd lost people before, but he wouldn't lose her.

"Claire, find a crowbar," the redhead nodded and went to the dented metal toolbox and cabinet. Wrenches and lug-nuts hit the floor with loud clanks and clings. Claire passed the crowbar to Owen and grasped Alysanne's hand. He flung smaller pieces of wood and tin aside until he could see the beam that was trapping her legs. With the crowbar jammed beneath the heavy metal beam, he put only a fraction of his weight on the bar and pushed, testing the weight and leverage. "I need you to try and pull yourself up when I lift this."

Alysanne nodded. He gritted his teeth together and pushed down with all his strength. As soon as the weight began to lift, Ally was scrambling to pull herself from beneath the rubble. Claire took her arms, tugging her forward. When her legs were clear of the debris, Owen dropped the steel beam, wooden frame, and tin sheet. He slid next to her on the concrete floor and pulled Ally against him.

"I'd rather work every day if this is what happens on my days off," she muttered and despite the heaviness of Owen's heart, he laughed and pressed his cheek into the top of her head. Alysanne glanced over at Claire and gave her a weak smile, "Trilobites never tried to kill me." Maybe if it wasn't for the blood running down the side of her head, Claire would have laughed.

"We've got to get her back to the resort," Claire said, looking at Owen. Ally shook her head, obstinate. "I'm not leaving." Her voice was clouded by pain and hardly about a whisper.

"Ally, Claire's right," Owen told her in a tone that left very little room for arguing. "You need that ankle looked after," he wiped away some of the blood on her temple with the butt of his palm, "and your head." Ally had never seen Owen worried before and in her dazed state of mind, she found his expression to be rather cute.

A loud roar split through the trees and rattled the walls of the garage. She shook her head again and pushed herself out of Owen's arms. She landed on the concrete floor and used the destroyed Jeep to help her stand. "We have to see where she's going, ACU can stop her."


	14. fourteen

Alysanne Sattler wasstubborn, so stubborn that she insisted on trying to walk on a severely sprained ankle with an evident concussion. Claire tried to reason with her but it was like tried to talk to a rock, useless. Owen, frustrated with her bloody-minded self, didn't give her a choice when he lifted her up off the ground and onto his back. Then they were back on the trail of destruction that the Indominous had left in the thick forest.

A helicopter passed overhead and a moment later there was an echo of a thunderous roar. They turned in the direction both noises had come from. Through the trees, Ally could hear gunfire. Owen ran forward, halting when the trees gave way to a plummeting cliff face.

Ally looked down into the trees, she could see the monstrous dinosaur barreling toward the Aviary even though it was taking heavy fire from a minigun fitted to the helicopter. The Indominous disappeared and for a second there was an eerie calm. The sun reflected off the glass dome of the Aviary as pterosaurs escaped from the Aviary, flying upwards like a rising black cloud.

When the rotors of the helicopter stalled, Alysanne pressed her face down into Owen's shoulder, unable to watch, though she could still hear the screeching of the pterosaurs and the breaking of glass. Owen stumbled forward into the trees with Ally on his back. He dove to the ground and pulled Claire down too as two dimorphodons flew overhead with snapping jaws. The cloud of flying reptiles moved past them in the direction of the main park.

Claire exchanged a panicked look with Owen,  _Zach and Gray_. They backtracked through the forest, emerging on one of the service roads. He pointed at two four-wheelers. Claire hopped on one and Owen and Ally on the other. She had her arms wrapped around his midsection, face tucked into his back, and suddenly her eyes felt extremely heavy with the throbbing pain in her head.

By the time they reached the main park people were running from the avian dinosaurs in chaos. Some were being lifted into the air and dropped back down to the pavement, others were trampling those who had fallen. Owen and a containment unit set up to bring as many of the pterosaurs as possible as Claire screamed out the names of her two nephews.

Alysanne Sattler gripped onto the barrel of Owen's rifle. She wasn't just going to standby unarmed and open to attack. Playing a damsel in distress had never been her forte, "give me the gun." Owen looked at her with uncertainty, she could barely stand straight on her own and that wasn't including the gash and bruise on her forehead or the caked and dried blood that would obscure her vision. "I'm not helpless, Owen," she deadpanned. He gave her a stern look and pressed his rifle into her open hand.

She waved to people to get down, to hide in the shops and restaurants if possible. Some listened, others didn't and panic continued to ensue. Ally took aim at the sky and fired three separate shots, two of the winged dinosaurs fell midflight, splattering on the concrete below. More shots sounded around her and several more dimorphodon and pteranodon crashed down into the water and concrete.

There was a loud thud behind her and when she turned around, Owen Grady was on his back with a dimorphodon flapping its wings and snapping its jaws open and shut. Alysanne limped over to where the dimorphodon had him pinned to the ground, gnashing its teeth inches away from his neck and head. She reared back and jammed the butt of the rifle into the dimorphodon's head, giving Owen just enough time to push the creature away before she fired two consecutive rounds into it.

She smirked as he rose to his feet, still dazed, "aren't you glad you gave me a gun?" Owen rolled his eyes and gripped her waist, pulling her flush against him. There was another quip on her tongue but it faded the second he pressed his lips against hers. It was abrupt and rough with his arm wrapped around her waist and her hands digging into his biceps. Alysanne Sattler found that she didn't want to let him go, not when there was a chance that they could die in this fucking hell place.

Behind them was someone clearing their throat and at the disruption, they parted. It was Claire. Her arms were crossed and at her sides were Zach and Gray, "If you two are quite done."

✹✹✹

"What?" Ally asked, looking up from where Claire's youngest nephew had tried to help her with a makeshift compression bandage to wrap around her bruised and swollen ankle. Owen ran his hand through his hair, irritably. "They want to use my raptors," he gritted out.

Ally got back on her feet, wincing at the weight on her ankle. Those raptors were her girls too. Sure, they didn't like her much to begin with but over time they had come to trust her, and she knew how much they meant to Owen. "I'm coming with you."

He laid both his hands on her shoulders, shaking his head. "No, you are not," this time there was no room for arguing. She guessed he'd probably lock her in a room somewhere if it meant she'd be safe. Her expression hardened. She  _needed_  to go with him. "Owen!"

"Alysanne," he said and that stunned her into silence. She didn't think he had ever said her full name before. Owen brought his hand up to the side of her neck, a tender gesture despite his rising anger. "You're in no shape to go out there again." She knew he was right, but that didn't mean she wanted to be left behind. "Don't stay here." Ally bit down on her lip but nodded. He leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to her battered forehead. "Be careful."

Ally gripped onto his wrist as he turned away. " _You_  be careful," she countered. Owen Grady nodded, "Always am." Maybe under different circumstances, she would have smiled and laughed at the cocksure statement. Maybe under different circumstances, Owen would have actually believed the statement.

He left her standing in the crowd of tourists and workers.

So, to the best of her ability, she started gathering people up, pointing them in the direction of the docks. There'd be ferries coming, ships and helicopters too.

She had gotten to the loading station of the monorail with the last group that'd be leaving, but then a thought popped into her mind that would not disappear, a nagging voice that came from her years as a researcher.

It was likely a foolish thing to do, but Dr. Alysanne Sattler forced her way back to the hotel and her room. In a panicked haste and with tears stinging at her eyes she grabbed her computer and field notebooks and crammed them into a backpack. She couldn't leave almost three years of research behind.

Ally looked around at the room, at the items that would have to be left behind, though, in truth, she counted herself as one of the lucky ones. People had died, children and adults alike in what was supposed to be the safest theme park on the planet. She swallowed the lump in her throat and flipped off the lights before closing the door.

By the time she reached the docks again, there was a ferry approaching, empty and ready to carry the remaining tourists to safety. She remained at the back, seeing that others boarded before her, that they received attention before her too.

One of the medical staff members tapped her on the shoulder again. She looked over her shoulder at a man who had to be even younger than she was. "Ma'am, with all due respect, you really need to be tended to." Alysanne Sattler had already denied attention twice, others needed help more than she did, she guessed that was probably still true based on some of the injuries she had seen.

She shook her head, "Not yet." She stood looking toward the entrance of the Visitor Center on the docks waiting to see four more faces. "Please, ma'am," the young nurse pleaded.

But the day's events were finally setting in and with no small amount of reluctance, she turned from the welcome platform and boarded the ferry. The lights of the island slowly faded into the distance until it blended into the dark waters of the Pacific. Ally sank down onto the crowded deck and hoped to hell that everyone she had just left behind was safe.  

  ✹✹✹  

Owen Grady skimmed over the cots spread out over the hanger again as he helped a girl find the rest of her family, he spotted Claire with her nephews but it took several more glances around the crowd before he spotted Alysanne Sattler.

She was asleep. A proper wrap and brace were fitted around her left ankle and the gash on her forehead had been closed with black sutures. Those had been the worst injuries, otherwise, it was small bruises, scratches, and nicks that were scattered across her exposed arms and legs. Owen knelt beside the cot, though when he looked back up, Ally's eyes were open and focused on him. "Hi," she whispered.

"Look at you," Owen smiled, running his thumb next to the line of stitches and over the bruise on her cheek. It was a mixture of emotions that swelled in her gut at the sight of him, the most prominent though, seemed to be relief.

"It's over," she breathed, sitting up on the small and stiff cot. Owen nodded. "I thought I told you to be careful," Ally reprimanded, gently poking at the scrape on his forehead. Owen laughed softly, gently swatting her hand away. She didn't want to think of a life without Owen Grady. He had weaseled his way into her life, and her heart.

"Where will you go?" Ally asked as he helped her to her feet. If truth be told, she was scared to know the answer.

Owen leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, this time there was no urgency or panic. It was a proper kiss. She sighed when he pulled back. Their gaze remained solely on one another despite the bustling medics and tearful reunions that surrounded them. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, "I think the question is where will  _we_  go." 

Alysanne Sattler smiled and pressed her cheek against his chest.


	15. fifteen

Ally stood by the pay phone at the airport, lucky enough that her backpack had a few pieces of spare change in the bottom. She braced most of her weight on the wall and pressed in a ten digit number. The phone rang twice before someone picked up on the other end, she could vaguely make out the television in the background. "Mom?"

"Ally?" Her mom sounded sick with worry, "Oh my god, I saw what happened on the news. Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she rubbed away a tear and looked over at Owen, "I'll be alright." It wasn't a very convincing answer, but for now, her mother would accept that. Alysanne grew silent, her eyes drifting up to a television screen displaying the time and date. It was December eighteenth. Ally bit down on her lip as if that could somehow magically stop the tears that wanted to well up in her eyes. In these past two days, Ally had come to realize just how much she missed her mother. "I'll be home for Christmas too."

Two days later, Ally's mom was waiting at the airport with her sister, waiting to pick her up. Tears had begun streaming down both her and Ellie's cheeks as they saw her descending on the escalator, banged up but still pushing on. When Alysanne Sattler hugged her mother, it felt like everything had settled back into place and the world wasn't so bad anymore.

After tearful embraces, Ally looked up at Owen. Her mother, though, didn't need an introduction, not really, having heard of the infamous and nettlesome raptor trainer before. She loved Owen from the very beginning. He had saved her little girl and for that, he was already like a member of the family. Ellie had taken a liking to him as well.

In the backseat of Ellie's Subaru, Ally leaned her head on Owen's shoulder and he reached down and loosely entwined their fingers. 

  
✹✹✹

Dr. Alysanne Sattler resumed her research, but instead of trilobites, she continued the work that had been started on Jurassic World on sauropods and theropods. Her new position was as an assistant professor at the University of Kansas, though it couldn't compete with the excitement of her previous job, after the incident though, something humdrum didn't seem like a bad choice. She went in at seven and worked till five, taught two different classes three times a week and had plenty of time to research and even get the first words down for a memoir.

Owen easily got on with one of the wildlife reserves. He still worked with raptors, but these were much smaller and completely feathered. He was a natural when it came to working with animals and whenever Ally visited him, it made her heart swell to think how much he missed his raptors. There was a particular barn owl, though, that had taken a keen liking to him during her rehabilitation process. One more than one occasion after her release, Owen and Ally had come home at night to find a single owl resting on the eave of their small home.

Soon even the media had forgotten about the incident at Jurassic World and everything fell into quickly settled into a routine, a quiet and comfortable routine.

✹✹✹

The summer storm woke her with a loud crack of thunder and then she noticed the empty side of the bed. The sheets were rumpled but still warm. Ally frowned and pulled herself from the bed.

He was sitting at the kitchen table, laptop open and on the Weather Channel's website. Ally stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes, "Owen? What're you doing up?"

Owen Grady looked over his shoulder, "I was just checking the weather," he responded, lightning flashed through the windows and seconds later there was a deep rumble of thunder. It wasn't the weather for Lawrence, Kansas though, but for Isla Nublar. The abandoned island had a dark cloud and lightning bolt on the forecast for the next five days. Ally draped her arms around his neck and propped her chin up on his shoulder. Lightning flashed through the kitchen windows again. Owen frowned. "Blue doesn't like thunderstorms."

✹✹✹

"What's wrong?" Owen asked, hands working the tension from her shoulders as he leaned over her to look at the laptop screen too. It didn't necessarily make sense to him, just looked like some sort of graph with a few spikes here and there.

She had pulled more than a couple late nights at work but now this new discovery was looming over her conscious. Alysanne rubbed her eyes and looked at the live stream of data that was coming from the island's seismometer network.

"I've been getting a lot of seismic activity from Isla Nublar," she admitted. The sensors had been tied to her computer and it still picked up the transmission. She refreshed the application page and watched as another strong peak appeared in the graph.

Ally flipped between several applications, one showing tectonic plate motion, another with surface temperature and GPS data, and lastly the seismometer readings. Her eyes widened as she saw the pattern and pieced everything together. "Owen," she breathed, "I think the volcano is waking up."

✹✹✹to be continued✹✹✹


	16. sixteen

Ally dropped her tote and keys on the kitchen table, letting out a long sigh of relief. After a week of midterms, it was finally the weekend, even if the stack of papers in need of grading were overflowing. She sat down and pulled out the jumbled up tests and lab reports, along with her favorite red ink pen. Grading her students' work was possibly her least favorite part about being a professor.

"Babe." Owen Grady slid into the chair across from her. "I have an idea," he began, drumming his fingers on the table.

"Last time you had an idea-" Ally pointed her pen in his direction "-we spent over a hundred dollars in an arcade trying to beat all the high scores," she mused, eyeing him with notable suspicion. It had been an impulsive decision more than anything and had taken almost five hours to accomplish the feat. During Owen's attempt to break the high score in Galaga, he had managed to draw a small crowd.

"Yeah," he said, thinking back to that afternoon with a lazy grin, "we should do that again sometime."

Alysanne shook her head, trying to hide her smile. "Spill it, Grady." His smile disappeared, replaced by a more serious expression. It became evident, that whatever idea he had, he had put in a fair amount of thought.

"What if we moved?" The question didn't fully register at first. But once it did, everything else he was saying grew muffled and distant. "Into the mountains with a cabin and a view?"

"Owen, we can't-" she stopped herself mid-sentence and let out a deep sigh "-I can't just move." She had a responsibility to the university, to her students, to her research and colleagues.

Maybe Kansas life  _was_  humdrum, but there were worse places to be. Owen wasn't content, though. Ally knew from the start that he wasn't content. He wasn't the type to enjoy living in the suburbs. There was something wild and rugged about him that didn't belong in a house with a white picket fence.

Owen hadn't expected her to be gung-ho about the sudden question, but he had to plant a seed somehow. After seeing her work and live on Isla Nublar for almost three years he knew, deep down, that she was bored of this routine. He reached across the kitchen table to take her hands. "Just think about it, Ally."

✹✹✹

He was messing with her damp hair, unable to lie still. Since she hadn't outright opposed his idea of moving, he decided to pry, to see where she would go given the opportunity. "West Coast?" Owen asked. He couldn't picture her as an East Coast girl unless she was somewhere with mountains.

Ally's face scrunched up at the notion. She had no desire to live in a region with an active fault zone and subduction boundary. Two feet of snow in the winter and thunderstorms were two things she'd take any day over earthquakes and volcanoes. "More inland," she countered. Owen twisted a strand of her hair around his finger. He almost felt bad for keeping her up so late on a work night.

"Wyoming? Colorado? Idaho?" At this point, he was just rambling off western states that didn't border the Pacific Ocean. She pursed her lips, thinking about another state that had popped into her mind. One that she had fallen in love with during her field camp experience. "Montana?" Ally added in the same inquisitive tone.

"Not going to lie," Owen began, his weight hovering over her, braced on his forearms, "I forget that place exists sometimes." A thoughtful look worked its way onto his countenance, barely visible in the dark bedroom. Ally could see the gears grinding in his mind. "But I like it," he mused. She smiled when he stooped forward, kissing the tip of her nose. 

  ✹✹✹  

She had caught up on her grading, was even ahead of schedule for her newest proposal, and had sent off another paper to be reviewed for publication. Yet, when Owen came home with a bag of takeout and a bottle of Riesling she was sitting at the bar, laptop open and papers strewn about.

As soon as he noticed they were seismographs, he knew. Then he noticed the television was playing in the next room, on a news channel that was discussing Mt. Sibo, now an active volcano. Owen Grady frowned.

He sat their supper on the countertop and slipped behind where she sat. His hands fell on her shoulders, thumbs beginning to knead her tight muscles with small circles. "You're stressing over it again." Ally could feel the stubble of his jaw as he leaned forward.

"Yes," Alysanne responded, not even trying to deny it. Every time she managed to push it to the back of her mind, something happened to bring it back up. This time it had been a news story about the dinosaurs that caused her to start reviewing the data. Ally pressed her face into her hands. "If it erupts then the dinosaurs will die."

Some part of her knew that it was probably time to let the engineered creatures go. She had worked hard for two years to push the memories and events of Jurassic World far away from her thoughts. Yet the other part of her knew that something had to be done. They were living creatures, just like her, and it didn't feel right to just push them aside to be doomed. "Maybe," Owen started, glancing down at the graphs and reports, "maybe that's for the best."

Alysanne spun around on the barstool, shoulders dropping. "I put in my papers," she said. At first, Owen thought she had meant for publication, but then he realized she wasn't talking about  _those_  papers. "After the summer semester," she added and he broke out into a wide grin.

Owen Grady leaned down for a quick kiss. Ally could feel him still smiling against her lips. "Good," he said, "because I already bought a plot of land." She cut her eyes at him. "You did what?" Disbelief tinged her tone, but couldn't dampen the excitement they both shared.

"Yeah," he said, shrugging, "near Butte."  _Montana_. Ally bit down on her bottom lip and decided that he was perfect. "I can go start building," he noted. There were only so many things a handyman could do to keep himself entertained around the house when nothing was in need of repair.

"Slow down there, Grady," Ally told him, a hand pressed to the center of his chest. "How about you wait until after winter break?" That was just over a month away and would give them time to at least have a serious discussion about moving and other important topics that came with building a house and selling another. "Then you can go."

He easily agreed to that and popped the cork off the bottle of wine. This news called for an impromptu celebration. 


	17. seventeen

Ally turned the page in one of her student's field notebooks and marked through the improperly formatted measurements taken at one of the outcrops. For some reason, she couldn't grasp what was so hard to understand about strike and dip. She had recently taken her small paleoecology class on a weekend field trip to several fossiliferous outcrops within the Niobrara formation. Now she had a milk crate with a stack of yellow and red field notebooks to grade.

On the nightstand, her phone buzzed and a picture of her and Owen popped up. Leaning over, she grabbed the phone and pressed the green button, accepting his request to FaceTime.

He was sprawled out in a ratty recliner, an arm folded beneath his head. His cheeks were bordering on sunburnt. "That my shirt?" Owen asked, squinting.

It was a thin, faded, green and blue plaid shirt with the top three buttons undone. A really comfortable nightshirt in Ally's opinion. "Yep," she announced, putting emphasis on the 'p', "but it's mine now." Since he had left, she had commandeered a handful of his shirts.

"Looks better on you anyway," he told her, amused.

She bit down on her lip to hide the wide grin threatening to form and looked at the letter laying on top of her laptop. It was the last piece she needed to fully accept that, soon, she'd be living in a mountain cabin. "I got an offer from Montana Tech." She'd been offered a position in the geological engineering department to replace one of the professors that would be retiring.

Owen gave her a toothy grin, knowing that she had been worried about finding a job, but now it looked like everything was going to work out just fine. "That's great, baby."

She glanced down at the open field book in her lap and marked the page with her pen. Grading could wait for now. "How's it going?" Ally asked in reference to the cabin. He'd been there for a solid month and now that the lot was cleared off, he could start building.

"Foundation is done and the trusses are up," Owen informed, proud of how much he had accomplished. Though now the process would go slower. "The roof is next," he added, having ordered the red tin roofing material just two days ago. It was all coming together, piece by piece.

Owen wore a small frown at the hazy and distant look in her pale blue eyes. He had seen it before, especially on late nights when she was torn between writing a paper or preparing for her next lecture. "You look tired."

"So do you," Ally countered. Neither of them had the restraint to stop working when they weren't together. Owen yawned, and she followed suit a few seconds later.

She glanced over at the clock. It was already bordering on midnight and they would both have early mornings. "Talk to you later, alligator," Ally said, blowing a kiss.

Owen pretended to catch the kiss. "Bye, bye butterfly."

✹✹✹

As of late, the news had been nothing else but the impending eruption of Mt. Sibo and the battle within the U.S. government that would determine the fate of the dinosaurs left on the island. For a time, Ally had stopped watching it completely.

Then, after one of her lectures, her phone began to ring. "Ally!" It was Claire and the moment she had been dreading. She unlocked the door to her office and immediately slumped down into her desk chair. This was not a conversation she wanted to have. "You've been up close with these animals. You know them the best," Claire told her. No one else at Jurassic World had interacted with as many species as she had or had spent as much time observing them.

"We're the only voices they have," the redhead's voice cracked over the line. Ally almost wished Claire could've remained apathetic towards them. "Won't you come talk to them?" She asked, meaning the government and private investors that could fund and lead an extraction mission.

"Claire-" Ally butted in, vexed but didn't have the chance to say anything. "Think about it! What will happen to Pat and Sue? To Blue?" She had been trying not to think of what would happen, had convinced herself that it was time to sever any ties that remained with the park. Owen had tried to do the same.

"Look, I'll try to rearrange my schedule." That answer seemed to pacify the redhead for now. Ally sighed, tossed her phone down on the cluttered desk, and leaned back in her chair, pressing her face into her hands. 

✹✹✹

Dr. Alysanne Sattler looked down at the selected contact on her phone. Beneath the name, Ellie Sattler was a picture of her and her aunt at a dig site in the Nevada desert from over ten years ago. Her thumb hovered over the little phone icon for a brief second before the line began to ring.

Given that the hot topic on the news was about Isla Nublar, Dr. Ellie Sattler had a pretty good idea as to why her niece was calling. "Elle?" Ally ran her fingers through her hair, catching several knots. "What do you think we should do? What does Alan think?"

There was a brief repose before Ellie gave her answer. "We both agree that it's time. These animals were never natural, never meant to be here in this time period." Ellie frowned on her end at her niece's silence.

She had read the papers and articles published about working with the theropods at Jurassic World. Knew that Ally had imprinted and helped raise two apatosauruses and had to leave behind a young stygimoloch after the incident. "Alysanne...jellybean," her aunt solaced.

"It's just-" Ally swallowed the lump in her throat "-I knew them, Elle. I knew the apatosaurus and velociraptors and..." she bit down on her lip. She knew them as living creatures with their own distinct personalities.

Ellie took the opportunity to tell her niece something that she hoped would help her make the decision. She and Alan had their opinions, but it was Alysanne and her children that would inherit the world. It was up to them to decide if dinosaurs were going to be a part of it. "Sometimes nothing is the hardest thing one can do."

✹✹✹

She had the data. The seismographs and local readings of water and air quality that showed elevated concentrations of volcanic gases. Isla Nublar was a ticking time bomb. It could erupt in a matter of days or weeks and that wasn't enough time to plan any type of rescue operation. "The island is too dangerous!" Alysanne reiterated. "It could blow at any time. We might get there and it be too late!"  _We might get there and die alongside them_.

"Then at least we know we tried." Ally looked at Claire Dearing and knew that she would not like her decision on the matter. The redhead still had a glimmer of hope that Dr. Alysanne Sattler would agree to help save the dinosaurs from extinction.  _But dinosaurs were extinct_. The theme park attractions were a far cry from what their predecessors looked like.

She folded her hands on top of the conference table and leaned forward. "I'm sorry, Claire," Ally started, ignoring the way her friend's face fell and the expression that spoke of betrayal and hurt. She couldn't get caught up in this mess again. "But it's not our place to intervene."

Alysanne rose from her chair and picked her black tote up off the floor, not bothering to collect the data for her argument. Claire remained quiet as her friend pushed open the door of the conference room, leaving.

The redhead stepped out into the main office, hands clenched into fists at her sides. "You told me you'd help!" Claire said, crestfallen, but there was ire in her voice too. The entire office went silent. The Dinosaur Protection Group knew that Alysanne Sattler would be one of the best allies in the fight.

Ally turned around at the elevator, having already pressed the down button. "I never said that Claire. All I said is that I'd rearrange my schedule to come." And that was what she had done. She had come to San Francisco and presented irrefutable evidence that Isla Nublar was unsafe even for the most qualified persons. It just so happened that her final say on whether the dinosaurs should be rescued didn't agree with Claire's views.

"I have to go. I have a flight to catch." The elevator doors slid closed.   


	18. eighteen

The plane landed in Butte, Montana, shortly after four in the afternoon. It took another hour before she had managed a rental car to drive up to the plot of land that Owen had purchased. It was on the northern outskirts of the city, in the mountains and the pines, near a small lake. If the scenic, sunset drive was any indication of what the land looked like, then she knew it'd be perfect. 

He was packing up his toolbox for the day when the Ford Pick-up turned in. Owen unbuckled his tool belt and dropped it into the red-tin toolbox. Alysanne threw the door open and hopped out, her black heels crunching on the loose gravel driveway. When she shut the truck door, Owen Grady smiled from ear to ear. "What're you doing up here?"

"Thought I'd come for a surprise," she told him, smiling too, having put her earlier meeting with Claire to the back of her mind. He wrapped his arm around her waist leaned down for a kiss. Short and sweet. "Plus, I wanted to do a little bit of exploring," Ally added. She wouldn't pass up the opportunity for a good hike.

"Sure you don't want to just explore the mobile bungalow?" He teased, wiggling his eyebrows. Alysanne rolled her eyes and nudged him with her hip. Owen cackled as he tossed his arm around her shoulders. "C'mon," he said, leading her toward the silver camper at the edge of the tree line, "I've got a pot of chili goin'."

The camper was all too reminiscent of the one he'd had on Isla Nublar. A reminder of some of their first times together, drinking beer around a fire and making s'mores. Those nights had been the start of something that neither of them could have predicted to come to this.

Alysanne scooped out two bowls of the chili while Owen brought the corn muffins to the table. While she put away the leftovers and washed up the dishes, Owen had brought in her bags and decided to make a small fire.

He built a fire with the trimmings off of the logs used for the support beams and trusses. He didn't have any lawn chairs, so instead, he spread out a brown and green quilt on the grass near the fire. Sparks flittered up into the air as the flames flickered in the crisp night air.

Ally dropped a bag of marshmallows onto the blanket and passed Owen a Moscow Mule. She'd switched out her business suit for a CalTech sweatshirt and a pair of Owen's lounge pants.

Ally turned two marshmallows over the white coals. When they were golden brown and almost melting off her stick, she leaned back into Owen, passing one of them to him. One of his arms wrapped around her waist. "Hey baby, are you made out of carbon?" Alysanne Sattler let out a deep sigh, knowing what came next. "Because I want to date you."

She shifted, turning to face him. He had melted marshmallow sticking to the rough hairs on his upper lip and chin. "That was awful," Ally deadpanned, attempting not to laugh at the terrible pick-up line, "and we're already dating." That made Owen smile.

"Did you know that I'm hung like a horst?" He then asked, trying to keep a straight expression and level tone. Alysanne had been in the middle of taking a sip from her drink, but that turned into a bout of coughing. She wiped her mouth on the dark grey sleeve of the hoodie, rolling her eyes. "Wait I take it back,  _that_  was awful."

With another pair of marshmallows skewered on a whittled branch, she turned back to the fire. "Are you a mineral?" Ally shook her head, already trying to keep herself from laughing. "Because I'd like to study your cleavage." She'd heard that joke before but something about Owen saying it made a flush of color rise to her cheeks. 

✹✹✹

There was a trailhead less than a mile from the cleared lot. Owen had told her about it as they fell asleep. A seven-mile loop along the ridgeline of one of the mountains. It would take a good portion of the day to finish.

Ally woke bright and early to hear butter sizzling in a pan. The sound came from the two-burner stovetop. Owen was standing over the pan, tending to the beaten eggs he'd just poured in. By the time she'd poured them two cups of black coffee and made the toast, he was setting the eggs on the small table. "Sleep good?" He asked, brow raised at her severe case of bedhead. She nodded.

Dr. Sattler pulled on a pair of dark grey cargo pants and a thick pair of socks, on top of a purple tee, a flannel button-up. Owen's outfit mirrored hers, only instead of a purple shirt, he wore an old Budweiser tee. Ally packed three bottles of water, a handful of granola bars, and the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that Owen had made them into her field backpack. It was a tight squeeze with her field notebooks and rock-hammer.

They had the trail to themselves, only having to share with a handful of passing squirrels and birds. "Why were you so dressed up yesterday?" Owen asked face scrunched up. It was always an unexpected surprise when she traded in her muddy hiking boots for polished heels. Truthfully though, he preferred her as she was now.

"I went to meet with Claire," she reminded him.

"Oh, I forgot that was coming up," he admitted. "How'd it go?"

"Well, I told her that I didn't think a rescue op was feasible with Sibo being so active. She wasn't happy, but-" Ally stopped in her tracks and turned around, adjusting the straps of her backpack "-it's time to let go, and that's my decision." Owen could tell by her expression that it hadn't been an easy decision. She'd called him half-a-dozen times to talk about it all. Shaking her head, Ally turned back and continued up the ridgeline.

Shortly after noon, they had reached the top of the mountain. The sky was blue, the air clear, and the breeze cool. She stood at the peak and could see for what appeared to be miles. It was perfect.

The view reminded her of why she had fallen in love with this place during field camp. Nothing could quite compare to the emptiness. So much of the land remained untouched. Ally held onto the straps of her pack and breathed in the cool air. "God, it's gorgeous up here."

"Yeah," Owen agreed, mouth dry. He was taking in a different view.

After eating their lunch and taking a few minutes to rest, they started back again, not wanting to risk being caught in the dark. Owen led the way on the descent.

The few inches difference in elevation let her see over his head. Though what caught her attention was the way his hair bounced with each step and the soft reddish color that was beginning to shine through. This was the longest she had ever seen his hair. It fit his new lumberjack persona. "When's the last time you got a haircut?"

He shrugged. "Dunno, been a while, though." Then after a couple seconds, he glanced back over his shoulder, suspicious. "Tell me you're not counting grey hairs?" Ally laughed and shook her head. 

When they returned to the lot, there was a white SUV parked next to the rented pickup truck, and a redhead looking up at the framework of the cabin. "Oh, boy," Owen muttered, casting a side look to Ally only to find she wore a deep frown that bordered on anger.

He adjusted the weight of his backpack and stepped into the opening. "What are you doing here?" Owen asked before Alysanne had a chance to.

Claire clasped her hands in front of the grey wool skirt she wore and glanced down at her pale pink heels. She knew there was no point in beating around the bush, especially after her and Ally's previous encounter. "There's a team already on the island starting the extraction."

Ally found it troubling that she hadn't mentioned that a day ago. Owen Grady gave a huff of weak laughter, rolling his eyes. "Saving the dinosaurs from an island that's about to explode. What could go wrong?"

The redhead's expression fell back into an unnerving calm. "Blue is alive." Her gaze shifted from the raptor trainer to Alysanne. "So are Pat and Sue." A lump rose in Dr. Sattler's throat. "You raised them." Ally and Owen didn't move or speak. Her words had felt like a blow to the chest, but their expressions didn't dispel that. "And now you're just going to let them die?" Claire shook her head. "That's not the Ally and Owen that I know."

Owen stepped forward, on the verge of telling Claire that it was time she left, but the redhead looked around with a disheartened smile before walking back to her car. She opened the door and placed one foot inside. "There's a chartered flight leaving in two days. You're both on the manifest. I just thought I should let you know that." The car door slammed shut and the engine started up.


	19. nineteen

The spot next to her on the bed was empty, the folded back sheets already cold. A blue light came from the open laptop on the kitchen table. Sitting behind it was a raptor trainer who had lost his pack.

Dr. Alysanne Sattler leaned over Owen's shoulder as he was re-watching clips of him training Blue and her pack. He ran his hand down his face, not feeling like he could justify the unshed tears. She draped her arms around him, watching as a young Blue affectionately nudged at Owen's hand when he'd pretended to be hurt.

Owen had never shown her the training clips. Once the four raptors were six months they were lethal and he never thought much of the nursery videos again. He closed out of the video player, but his wallpaper was of Ally with Pat and Sue while they were still young enough to be in the Gentle Giants Petting Zoo. She was kneeling between them with their heads resting on her shoulders. She hadn't even known he'd taken a picture of them.

Ally stood straight and shook her head. She couldn't ignore her own gut instinct any longer. Maybe Ellie, Alan, and Ian were right, but none of them had helped raise a dinosaur. None of them had known them as she had.

Dr. Sattler would not stand as a bystander any longer. Time was running out and these animals needed help. Pat, Sue, and Blue needed them. "Claire's right," Alysanne muttered. Owen looked up at her and furrowed his brows. They'd both tried convincing themselves that it was time to let go, but neither of them could just let the innocent die. "We have to go."

✹✹✹

The plus side to being in Montana was that there were no shortages of bush pilots for hire. Big Sky Country was filled with remote places that could only be reached by long hikes or by small aircraft.

Despite it being nearly one in the morning when Ally called one of the small bush pilot companies listed in the yellow pages someone answered the phone. She scheduled the flight to be within the next hour, willing to pay double for two people. Owen shoved his stuff into one of his backpacks and once she was off the phone, Ally immediately started gathering her things.

The small plane was fueled and waiting on the runway. The pilot was an aging man wearing Vietnam Veteran's cap, salt and pepper hair peeked out from beneath the dark navy hat. "I can't take you all the way to Northern California," he told them, helping situate their backpacks in the storage bin at the back of the cabin, "but I can get you to Southern Oregon." That would be far enough, though.

The single-engine plane sputtered to life. With all the systems checked and the propeller keeping its pace, the pilot pressed the throttle and they raced down the runway, pulling up into the night sky.

Ally took a moment to glance out the window. There weren't that many lights to be seen in Butte at this hour, but with each minute the number dwindled until there was only darkness below. She adjusted her seatbelt and shifted, finding a comfortable position to catch a few more hours of sleep.

After a good hour of being in the air, the pilot glanced over at Owen. The only light in the plane came from the dim lights of the control console. "If you don't mind me askin' why'd need such a last minute flight?" The war veteran asked. He couldn't help but a little curious.

Owen looked over his shoulder and saw that Ally was slumped over in her seat, asleep again for the moment. It didn't seem like a good idea to start telling strangers they were going to save the dinosaurs from an active volcano, though. So he came up with the next believable reason. "We're getting married," he told the pilot. That brought a smile to the man's kind face. They would make a nice looking couple.

"Get some rest, son. There's still another three hours 'fore we land," the pilot told him. Owen wasn't sure if he'd be able to sleep with that they were getting into.

The small town that they had landed in was called Bonanza. It didn't have an airport, only a small patch of pavement in an open field that would pass for an airstrip. The pilot helped them offload and began refueling his four-passenger craft.

Nearly at the same time they landed, the cab company that Owen had called was driving up to the plane. Now it was only a one and a half hour drive to the coordinates that Claire had given them.

It was dark, still early in the morning and the small plane was sitting on an empty tarmac. Their taxicab stopped near the left wing, the driver announcing they'd reached their destination. A small country runway in northeastern California. Ally passed the snaggled-toothed man a wad of crumpled up tens and fives while Owen unloaded their packs from the trunk.

"Still got a couple hours before suns up," he mused, testing the side door of the plane and finding it unlocked. Owen tossed their two packs into the rear cargo hold and made himself comfortable on the side row of seats. Ally did the same.

Even after the late flight and drive, Ally couldn't manage to calm her brain enough to fall back to sleep. She turned on her side and studied Owen's expression. He always appeared calm and in control when it came to these types of situations. That was something she envied. Too often she wore everything on her sleeve. Like now, the doubt was plainly displayed on her troubled expression.

"Not having second thoughts are you?" He asked, one eye popping open.

"Of course I am," Alysanne retorted, "we're going to an island that could kill us at any moment." That deep-rooted fear had knotted itself into her gut and since deciding to join the rescue operation it had resulted in a permanent queasy feeling.

Owen reached across the aisle and laid his hand on her neck, thumb running over her jaw and cheek. "Just stay close to me," he murmured. Ally held onto his hand and nodded. She could do that.

✹✹✹

Once they were in the air and the uneasy silence wore off Claire motioned toward a skittish young man, who, for the entity of the flight had been clutching onto either his seat or his backpack. "This is Franklin. He was a systems analyst at the park." Ally wasn't only to judge on appearances alone, but he certainly didn't look like an adventurer.

"Nervous flyer?" Owen asked. That seemed like a question he already knew the answer to, though.

Franklin adjusted his white-knuckle grip on the straps of his backpack. "Would you ride a thousand-pound horse with big wheels on the sides?" He asked in a sarcastic tone.

Owen gave Ally a look, but she only rolled her eyes and leaned back into her seat, crossing her arms. "I rode a motorcycle through the jungle with a pack of raptors," he casually remarked, as if it were something he did on a regular basis.

"We are not compatible," Franklin replied, shaking his head. Both Ally and Claire tried hiding their smiles and soft laughter at the exchange.

The redhead then turned her attention to the final passenger on the plane that had been unintroduced. "And this is our paleoveterinarian -"

"Dr. Zia Rodriguez," the woman supplemented, sticking her hand out before Claire could continue the introduction. Ally grasped Zia's outstretched hand in a firm handshake.

The small plane hit a patch of turbulence, the plane took an abrupt sharp dive. Instinctively, Ally gripped onto Owen's arm. Franklin huddled back further into his seat.

When the rough air passed, Claire dug around in her pack and pulled out a clipboard and a pad of paper. Several things were scribbled down, followed by a list of every species that had been present in Jurassic World. The redhead passed Ally a business card.

Lockwood Estate was printed in bold, black, capital letters at the top of the small piece of cardstock. Beneath that was another name, Eli Mills, and a phone number. She turned over the card, seeing it was only a time and date written down that had already passed.

"Lockwood?" Ally inquired, surprised to hear that name again, "as in Lockwood and Hammond?" The two great pioneers of cloning and the founders of InGen. Claire nodded and took the card back, slipping it under the clip.

"Lockwood has an island," Claire began, hopeful and naïve, "a sanctuary for them."

Alysanne raised her brow in both question and challenge. Not even a week ago, there had been no plan to rescue the dinosaurs from Isla Nublar, just meager donations and squabbling politicians. "Sounds too good to be true," she noted, casting a glance at Owen. He shot her a look but then leaned closer to the window.

Just outside was Mt. Sibo, spewing ash and smoke into the air. A ticking time bomb, only no one knew how many seconds were left on the timer.

They had arrived at Isla Nublar for the last time.


	20. twenty

Nature had begun its reclamation of Main Street. Trees were growing from broken windows, vines and shrubs had overtaken everything else. Nature could topple buildings and split stone. This was a firsthand hand glimpse into a world without humans.

Ally drew in a shaky breath and Owen reached over, gripping her hand. A reassurance that calmed her nerves for the moment. Being back on the island brought back a mixture of good and bad memories.

One of Mill's men explained they had already secured many of the dinosaurs on the ship. There were only a couple of species left to sedate and secure, but there were several teams around the island taking care of that. It was a certain Velociraptor that had been giving them issues. She was elusive and cunning. They'd already lost one guy because he'd tracked the raptor into a small hot spring that had been turned to acid because of the volcanic activity. 

The man speaking was interrupted by Zia jumping up from her seat and pushing the back doors of the armored vehicle open wide. "I have to see this." Now that they had stopped moving and silence persisted for a brief second, Ally heard the heavy footfall of a sauropod. She darted out of the vehicle too. 

"Hey!" Someone called from another car. "This area's not secured!" Both Ally and Zia ignored them. Approaching the Innovation Center from the side was an Apatosaurus, fully grown, but easily recognizable to the woman that had raised her. Sue paused at one of the palm trees and bent her neck down, pulling off several fronds. 

"Look at that." Zia gripped onto the straps of her backpack and looked up, awestruck. It was always a moment that would stay with you forever, the first time you saw a living dinosaur. A Stegosaurus had been the first one Ally had seen, living and breathing. She still remembered the feel of the rough, leathery skin beneath her hands.

"I never thought I'd actually get to see one," Zia admitted, eyes never straying from the large herbivore, "she's beautiful."

Alysanne smiled. "Her name is Sue," she commented, watching as one of her girls continued on, uncaring about the unexpected visitors. Owen squeezed her shoulder, in turn, she held onto his hand.

Most of the people had filed out of the vehicles and watched the Apatosaurus pass by with silent appreciation. Being back on the island still felt unreal, but the serene moment quickly passed when the volcano belched up more ash and the ground tremored.

✹✹✹

Franklin and Claire had managed to get the implant tracking system back up and running. From the control outpost, they would be able to help locate Blue. One of the strike teams was already preparing to mobilize and standby for the raptor's coordinates. They wouldn't let her get away this time. 

When the code for the Velociraptor's implant registered, Owen turned and gripped onto Ally's wrist. "You should stay here with them," he told her, not wanting risk any mishaps that might come with a bad encounter with Blue.

She looked at him as if he had sprouted two heads and scoffed. "Nope, I'm coming with you." Before he could protest, she was already heading out the door to load up with the strike team. Owen gave Claire an exasperated looked but when the redhead only shrugged, he turned to follow after her. 

Ally kept her focus on staying calm. It wasn't the dinosaurs that frightened her, but the volcano that loomed overhead. They could hide and outrun a dinosaur, running from an erupting volcano was impossible. 

The monitor that Owen had beeped again as they drew closer. He looked down at the small monitoring screen. It showed Blue was as a red triangle. The vehicle was a green blip closing in on the marker. "We're not getting any closer with these. Stop here," Owen announced, slapping his hand against the window. The driver stopped and the side door slid open. They had already discussed the plan three times over. 

After Blue was located, and Owen had secured her interest, he'd give the signal for them to tranquilizer her and once the raptor was down they'd move in. There was a three-hour window for them to retrieve Blue and get her back to dock. Once she was secured and loaded, they'd set off to Lockwood's personal dock. It was almost foolproof.

Alysanne jumped out of the vehicle behind Owen. He had given up on asking her to stay behind. She was stubborn, but to be honest, he was glad not to be alone. The faint smell of sulfur lingered beneath the dense canopy of the trees. "Owen," she began once they were out of earshot, "I've got a bad feeling about this operation."

Ever since landing on the island and seeing the type and scale of the equipment the covert team had brought, she had been at unease. Wheatley wasn't a good character either. He was in it for the money. That only added to her unease. It was a sinking feeling in her gut that rose again upon their insistence to capture Blue and only Blue.

Owen turned, a branch snapped under his boot sending a small group of saltopus running. "I don't think they're here to rescue them, not really," Ally told him and somehow he already knew she was right.

"Just stay close to me," he breathed as they came across a small clearing. Blue's implant had registered about a hundred feet from their location, but by now that could have changed. It was an overturned vehicle from the first park, almost hidden beneath bushes and small saplings. Several Compsognathuses scattered across the opening and into the trees at their approach.

There was a brief moment of stillness and silence before a screeching Velociraptor jumped onto the undercarriage. Owen startled and pushed Ally behind him, unwilling to take any chances. The grey and blue raptor jumped down and prowled closer, teeth bared.

Owen extended his arm, hand open toward her and pressed his old clicker three times. Her head tilted at the familiar noise. "Hey Blue," he greeted. She sniffed the air, still growling. 

"You know me," he told her. She looked over his shoulder, curious and cautious. Alysanne stepped out from behind Owen and looked at Blue, suddenly feeling as if it were their first meeting all over again. "You know us," he added.

Ally kept her gaze focused on Blue. If she'd taken a quick glance to her right, then maybe she would have seen Mill's men encroaching through the brush. "Come with us, girl," Owen said, voice laden with something forlorn. "You know you can't stay here."

The earth rumbled beneath their feet. Blue inched closer to Owen's outstretched hand, remembering him. But then one of Mill's men fired a tranquilizer dart into Blue's neck. The raptor turned her head and screeched, going into a delirious rage. Owen pushed Ally behind him again and raised his hands toward the men who were encircling them with guns aimed. They hadn't listened to or trusted him to do his part. 

"I told you to wait for my signal!" He snapped as the team came out of the trees. Owen glanced at Wheatley, knowing what was about to happen if they continued coming closer to Blue. He extended his arms to the side and crouched. "Back your men up, right now," he instructed.

They didn't listen. The sedative hadn't taken full effect yet, and Blue turned her head toward one of the men who had his dart gun raised. Owen shoved Ally back to the ground and landed on top of her at the same time the raptor leaped and pinned the man the ground. Gnashing her teeth in his face, sickle claw sinking deep into his thigh.

Ally saw the man pushing back with the dart gun with one arm and reaching for his pistol with the other. She dashed forward. "Don't shoot her!" Dr. Sattler shouted, but Owen wrapped his arms around her waist and hauled her back.

The gunshot echoed through the rainforest and then Blue's pained yelp followed as the raptor fell, unmoving. Alysanne and Zia rushed over to where Blue had fallen. The bullet had entered at her hip and was bleeding badly. She wouldn't make it if they didn't treat her soon. 

Ally stood and turned toward Wheatley, anger bubbling up in her chest. If they had just listened and stuck to the plan, this would have been avoided. "You bastard!" Dr. Sattler shouted, not backing down as she stomped toward the leader. One his men rammed the butt of his tranquilizer gun into her temple when Wheatley gave the signal. She went limp in a matter of seconds.

This had been the plan all along. "Ally!" Owen slipped his arms beneath her, stopping her from hitting the ground like a rock. He looked up at Wheatley, fuming. "You son of a bitc-" the statement would be left unfinished. Owen Grady glanced down and pulled the tranquilizer dart out of his shoulder, but it was already too late. 

He hit the ground next to Ally, face first. 


	21. twenty one

****There was a loud thump near her ear that first brought her back into consciousness. She opened one of her eyes and saw there was a Sinoceratops, standing over Owen and drooling. That was until something frightened it off.

Ally rolled over and immediately started rubbing the side of her head, having a headache like no other. It felt like someone was actively running a jackhammer in her skull. She glanced over at Owen. He was unmoving too, but lying next to him was a tranquilizer cartridge, half empty. She cursed Wheatley and the lot of them.

But then she felt heat, like she was standing too close to a campfire. Sitting up, she saw what the heat source was and screamed.

Lava.

The sub-viscous flow was encroaching on the area they had been abandoned in. Ignoring the throbbing in her head, Ally began shaking Owen's shoulders. "Owen," she hissed. The lava flow crept closer to them with every second. Alysanne slapped his cheeks in quick succession, hoping to get some type of response but all she got was an incoherent mumbling and a nose twitch. "Owen, babe, I need you to wake up." Panic crept into her voice.

He remained lethargic.

Ally hopped over a downed tree and drug him across it, knowing the rough bark would leave his back scratched and bruised. His eyes popped open and a groan escaped his lips, but he still hadn't regained control over his body yet. "Babe," her voice cracked, fear glistened in her eyes, "I can't carry you and we can't stay here." That was enough to bring him back to his surroundings and the imminent danger.

The trees were on fire, and the smoke was thick. It burned her lungs and stung her eyes.

Owen rolled onto his hands and knees. The fallen tree was hissing and smoking. The heat was right at their backs. Ally hopped to her feet and helped him up, holding his arm over her shoulders. One step at a time they moved forward and the lava followed, indiscriminate in what it destroyed.

Ahead, the slope steepened and then the volcano quaked, belching up more lava. It threw them both off their feet. Owen pulled Ally back up and quickly ditched his backpack before gripping onto her hand and starting to run again.

Claire and Franklin were standing on top of the old control post, looking around in panic at the blazing forests, black smoke, and lava. Wheatley had left them behind too. "Run!" Dr. Sattler shouted, arms flailing about. "RUN!" Owen yelled only a few seconds later. The ground was rumbling beneath their feet once again, but this time it wasn't due to the volcano.

A Gallimimus broke through the tree-line and sprinted forward. That had just been the start of the stampede to come. From the trees emerged a plethora of dinosaurs running for their lives. The four of them raced down the slope and into one of the valleys on the northern part of the island.

Volcanic bombs and ejecta were raining down, exploding on the ground only feet away from them. Ally looked over her shoulder and found that a line of dinosaurs was catching up to them as well.

There was a fallen tree ahead. If they could make it, then at least there'd be some sort of barrier from the stampede. Alysanne raced forward and slid beneath one of the branches. Owen followed. Claire and Franklin too.

They huddled behind the tree, against an upturned Gyrosphere. The tree splintered around them as Triceratops and Apatosaurus charged forward with nowhere to go but off a seaward cliff. The tail of a passing Stegosaurus clipped the Gyrosphere and the ride rolled to reveal its open hatch.

Franklin and Claire both crawled into the abandoned Gyrosphere and buckled themselves into the seats. Claire held her arms out, motioning for both Ally and Owen to get in as well. At least then there would be something between them and the stampede.

Owen grasped onto Alysanne's hands, pulling her toward the ride. "Get in the hamster ball," he told her. She did and not a moment later a Carnotaurus emerged from the panic and took the four of them for as an easy meal. Owen stretched his arms out, guarding the open door of the Gyrosphere as the carnivore stomped closer.

Then it charged, not toward them though, but a sinoceratops. The dueling dinosaurs bumped into the Gyrosphere, forcing it to roll back so it was upside down. When the ride rolled back over the door sealed. Owen slammed his hands against the ride. For the first time, Ally saw true fear cross over his expression. He turned back to the carnage.

Wounded, the Sinoceratopsescaped, but then Rexy darted forward. The Tyrannosaurus Rex clamped her jaws around the neck of the Carnotaurus and forced it to the ground, pinning the smaller carnivore beneath her weight. The T. Rexlifted her massive head and roared. Deep and thundering.

The volcano held its breath for only a few seconds before exhaling, sending dark ash and lava bombs hurtling in the air and down its slopes. The shockwave disoriented the T. Rex and in her escape, she hit the Gyrosphere and set them in motion downhill.

Ally looked back at the encroaching flow of debris. Owen was running as fast as he could. "Owen!" She screamed when the black cloud engulfed him. Seconds later they were falling from the cliff side.

The impact with the dark water sent her forward, head first into the glass even though Claire and Franklin were holding onto her. This time there was blood running down her face.

They were like a giant fishing bobber at the moment. Half submerged, half afloat. For at least a little while, the air in the Gryosphere would keep them buoyant. Eventually, though, that'd run out and they would suffocate. "We're going to die," Franklin repeated, panicking as he slapped the glass walls. Claire began searching the phasing control panel for a manual override switch to open the ride. Ally held onto her head and tried to slow her rapid breathing. She had to stay calm.

A glob of molten rock hit the Gyrosphere and melted through the top and bottom pane of glass. Water started pouring in through both holes. "Oh, this is bad. We're leaking and sinking," Franklin muttered, his whole body shaking, "I should have stayed home."

"Shut up!" Ally exclaimed, tired of his unremitting rambling. "We're not going die!" She told him, even if her gut feeling said they would. The water was up to her knees, and they were sinking farther from the surface.

Alysanne pressed her hand against the glass and saw out of the darkness that Owen was there. He pointed to a handgun and motioned for the three of them to lean back. Three rounds were fired into the glass but only one of the forty-five caliber bullets had managed to puncture the glass. That only caused water to start pouring in through another opening. He disappeared in the dark water again, racing to the surface for air before diving back down.

There wasn't an air pocket in the Gryrosphere anymore. The sea water had filled it. Owen appeared again and wedged his knife into the opening, pushing his weight against it while Claire and Franklin kicked the door. After three tries, the door was pried open and off its hinges. The clear pane of glass disappeared into the dark depths.

Claire pushed herself out of the sinking ride and pulled Franklin out too. But something in the Gyrosphere had trapped Ally's foot between the seat and steering yoke. Owen didn't realize that at first. She tugged at his vest and pointed down.

The salt water stung her eyes. He pulled his knife free again and sawed at the seat cushion. They were both running out of air. Hers quicker than his. Ally's chest felt tight and her lungs burned. Holding her breath was killing her. Black spots dotted her peripheral vision as she tried to watch Owen free her trapped foot.

He cut through the wire that had tangled around her ankle. With her foot free, he rose, but panic ensued when he realized she wasn't moving.

Owen pulled her free of the Gyrosphere and wrapped his arm around her waist, beginning to swim toward the surface. His lungs burned as they breached the water. The shore was still a hundred yards away. He pushed through the sinking feeling in his chest and swam toward the beach.

He laid her on the sand and immediately checked for a pulse.

There wasn't one.

Her head lolled to the side and water trickled out of her lips and nose. At first, neither Claire nor Franklin had realized what was happening until they heard an anguished shout and saw him slam his fists down onto the beach.

Owen Grady steeled himself and pinched her nose close, pressing his lips to hers, breathing into her mouth before starting chest compressions.

Each one more desperate than the last.

He couldn't lose her.

Claire felt her blood run cold as the Earth roared and shook beneath them.

"No!" Owen bellowed. "C'mon. Breathe." He pinched her nose again and sealed off her lips with his own, breathing into her twice more. His tears mingled with the droplets of salt water as he repeated the motions thrice times over.

Claire placed her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her tears as she watched Owen try to save her best friend. Guilt rose in her chest _. She_  had been the one to corner Ally into coming.  _If Ally dies_ \- Claire stopped that thought from crossing her mind.

Owen was still pressing down on her chest, hard. He wasn't going to give up on her even if the volcano was erupting around them.

Time passed at an agonizing rate.

The seventh time he pinched her nose and breathed into her was when Alysanne Sattler shot up and gripped onto Owen's arms, coughing up salt water and bile. Claire and Franklin gave a long sigh of relief. Having her breathing again almost made Owen cry harder.

When she settled, she leaned back trying to catch her breath and come to terms with what had just happened. "Hi," Ally said in a raspy voice, her bottom lip quivering.

Owen took her face into his sandy hands, thumbs running over her cheeks. "Don't ever scare me like that again." She wanted to look away but found he wouldn't let her. He lurched forward and pressed his lips against hers, hard and desperate. His lips were soft and warm and salty from the sea mingled with tears.


	22. twenty two

The truck almost hadn't made it into the back of the boat. The back wheels trod water, not having enough friction, but Claire shifted gears and it flew up the ramp and into the cargo hold. Owen, Franklin, and Ally had all been thrown backward when the redhead stomped the brakes, hard.

Ally sat up in the back of the covered truck and watched as the volcanic flow encroached on the dock. A minute longer on land and they would have been dead. Suffocated by volcanic gases and burned by hot ash.

A long and solemn cry came from the dock. Emerging from the ejecta and standing at the end was an Apatosaurus. Ally could make out the vague white mark on the underside of her neck that distinguished her from the others. It was Sue.

Owen realized that only seconds after she had screamed. He clamped his hand over her mouth and pulled her back into his chest. No one could know they had managed to get onboard.

Sue had been left behind and the cloud of ash was closing in around her.

Ally pried his hand away. "We have to go back!" She cried, darting forward before the cargo door that had begun to shut. When he gripped onto her arm, she looked back, hurt and betrayed even if she knew there was nothing that could be done.

The lone Apatosaurus stood up on her hind legs and let out a heart-shattering cry. Somewhere aboard the ship, Pat echoed the cry. That made it worse. "We-" a solemn hush fell over her as the cloud fully engulfed the Apatosaurus, leaving behind only a dark silhouette set against a cloud of grey and red.

"Ally," Owen shook his head and tried to bring her attention away from what was happening. "Ally, baby, listen to me," he couldn't stop his voice from shaking. Seeing her in this state of distress was breaking his heart all over again. "It's too late." She shook her head and let out a strangled sob. "We can't go back."

Owen pulled her into his chest, wrapping both his arms around her and rocked with the swell of the waves. The cargo door closed and there was silence. "We can't go back," he whispered, voice hoarse.

Claire climbed into the back of the truck and took off a green trucker hat. "Ally," the redhead started. Owen was still holding her in an iron embrace. Her shoulders were shaking. The last couple of hours hadn't felt real. They had passed in a haze, or at least they had for Claire Dearing. "I'm so sorry." It didn't seem fair that Ally had lost so many of the Apatosauruses she'd cared for.

Alysanne Sattler worked her way out of Owen's embrace and wiped the dampness on her cheeks away with the back of her hand. She may have lost one of her girls, but that didn't mean Owen had to lose his. Blue was somewhere on the ship, still injured. "We should find Blue," she whispered. They followed the sound of an animal in distress, staying low and close to the trucks and cargo containers.

Zia Rodriguez was alone in the shipping container, pressing a bloody piece of fabric down on where the raptor had been shot and listening to her heartbeat. "Oh my god!" Zia exclaimed, pulling the stethoscope from her ears when the four of them slipped through the canvas enclosure. "You guys are alive!" Owen quickly raised his finger to his lips and the paleoveterinarian quieted immediately.

Ally filed into the closed container after Owen and Franklin. "Look what they've done to her," the raptor trainer muttered as he looked down at Blue.

"She's hemorrhaging," Dr. Rodriguez said, not relenting the copious amount of pressure she had been applying. "I need a blood transfusion. I have to keep her alive." Owen looked between Zia and Blue, running his hand over the raptor's neck. "Do any of you know how to find a vein?" Zia asked.

Claire and Franklin exchanged looks and Owen glanced at Ally, who had replaced Zia and was now applying pressure to the raptor's bloodied leg. "You're a doctor!" He pointed out. There was something in his voice that she had never heard before. Ally thought it was fear or desperation, maybe it was both. "Use your Ph.D.!"

Alysanne Sattler looked up from her bloody hands and shook her head. "I'm not that kind of doctor, Owen!" She snapped. He knew that.

"I did a blood drive with the Red Cross once," Claire chimed in and that eased the tension that had been created in the cargo container. Zia passed a large blood collection bag to the redhead. They'd need to find a carnivore with two or three fingers for the transfusion. Owen looked over his shoulder as he stepped out of the container.

"Dr. Sattler, can you keep her calm?" She didn't know the answer to that question, but she could try. They switched places again.

"Hey Blue," Ally whispered, running her hand along the rough scales of the raptor's neck. Blue settled almost immediately but jerked when Zia pressed down harder on her injured hip. "It's okay," she reassured the raptor, continuing to stroke Blue's neck, "we're gonna fix you up."

It didn't quite dawn that this was the closest she'd ever been to Blue without a cage or Owen standing between them. Barry had told her that Blue knew Owen cared for her and that was enough to earn the raptor's trust. Ally bit down on her lip and reached over to still Blue's twitching wrist and claws. She didn't like seeing any living thing in pain.

Claire poked her head into the shipping container and stuck out the bag filled with carnivore blood.

Once the transfusion had begun, Zia gathered up a scalpel and a pair of forceps. "I'm going to make an incision in her leg," she told them. Ally felt her chest tighten upon seeing a single tear trickle from the raptor's yellow eye.

She gripped onto Owen's hand when the raptor jerked up. Each second passed incredibly slow as Zia searched the incision with a pair of forceps. With steady hands, Dr. Rodriguez found the slug and gripped onto it before carefully pulling it out the wound. The bloodied bullet clattered on the metal table.

Blue had settled, and Zia had relaxed knowing that the raptor would survive and everyone else too. The ship wouldn't be docking until the late evening and until then, everyone was visibly exhausted and desperate for a few moments rest.

Dr. Zia Rodriquez looked at Ally's bruised temple and the cut on her forehead then leaned back against the metal table. "My money's on a concussion," she said, crossing her arms. It certainly  _felt_  like a concussion.

It was strangely quiet except for the occasional loud huff from one of the dinosaurs aboard. Ally sat against the wall of Blue's holding cell and looked over her swollen wrist. It must have been jammed into the glass when the Gyrosphere hit the water, but she didn't think it was broken.

Owen sat in front of her and moistened a piece of gauze using a canteen he'd appropriated from one of the ship's crew members. Unlike the incident with the Indominous, this time, the cut on her forehead wouldn't need stitches. Just a good cleaning would do. He pressed the damp gauze against the bloody scab. Ally winced.

A bruise was starting to form on her left temple, it'd stretch over to her eye before it went away. Owen frowned. Somehow he always came out of these situations in better shape than she did. He dabbed away the dried blood running down into her eyebrow and wiped away the dirt on her cheeks. "I thought I'd lost you," he muttered after a while. The words had been stuck in his throat. This was a day he wished he could forget and it wasn't even over yet.

Ally forced herself to look at him. In the low light of the containment unit, she noticed there was a bit of brown in his green eyes. "I'm sorry." That was the only thing she could manage to say. Owen sat the dirty gauze aside and cradled her face in his hands. She glanced over to Blue and down at herself. "Your girls are going to be alright, though."

He shifted so that he sat next to her, back against the cool metal wall. Ally slid her fingers between the hand he'd laid on her thigh and leaned her head against his shoulder. Owen turned his head and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

Owen woke up to find one of Ally's hand was bunched up in the dark material of his shirt. Not wanting to disturb her, he turned his cheek into her hair and tightened the arm that had been loosely draped around her waist.

✹✹✹

The horn blast of the ship woke everyone in Blue's cargo crate with a start. Ally and the other three stowaways clambered from the raptor's crate and over toward the truck they had driven into the ship. Franklin though, got separated, but Zia called him back and told the ship's crew that he was her assistant.

"Quick," Owen whispered, hands resting on Ally's waist, "into the truck."

When the other vehicles started their engines, Owen cranked up the old truck and began backing out once they were docked. They hadn't come to an island, but through the trees on a hill was a large manor. Ally could only imagine it was Lockwood's Estate.

The convoy stopped. There were a sign and a fork in the road. A small town was less than fifteen miles away. "Hey," Owen said in a low voice, pointing toward the sign and unpaved road. "We hit that town and we call the cavalry to shut this down." Claire and Ally nodded. This operation couldn't be allowed to go any further.

He shifted the truck into reverse and made to turn the steering wheel but never had the chance to put his foot on the gas. "Hello," Wheatley said from outside the driver's window. He pulled back the bolt of the pistol he had against Owen's temple. "You should've stayed on the island." He told them as armed men poured out of the stopped trucks and pointed their weapons at the three of them. Ally felt her heart beating in her throat. Claire gripped onto her hand.

"Better odds," Wheatley mused with a twisted smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Please share your thoughts and don't forget to vote! Also, if it seems like your drowning in scientific jargon, just let me know and I'll tone it down, as a geologist myself, I can get carried away.


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